Austria's Right-Wing Government: Exploring Political Leanings

Austria's government has been described as right-wing, with the country's political landscape shifting towards the right in recent years. The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), led by Sebastian Kurz, has been described as conservative, centrist, and right-wing. The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is a right-wing populist party that has been accused of far-right extremism and neo-Nazi ideology. In 2024, the FPÖ won 28.85% of the votes cast in the national election, making it the largest of five parties in the National Council. The coalition between the ÖVP and the FPÖ has been referred to as a right-wing government, with the FPÖ gaining control over key ministries.

The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ)

The first leader of the FPÖ was Anton Reinthaller, a former Nazi functionary and SS officer. However, during its early years, the FPÖ did not advocate far-right policies and presented itself as a centrist party. In the 1980s, under the leadership of Norbert Steger, the FPÖ sought to style itself as a moderate centrist liberal party.

In 1986, Jörg Haider became the leader of the FPÖ, and the party began an ideological shift towards right-wing populism. This shift resulted in a surge of electoral support for the party but also led to the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) breaking ties with the FPÖ. In the 1999 election, the FPÖ won 26.9% of the vote, becoming the second-most popular party. The FPÖ formed a coalition government with the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), with the ÖVP retaining the office of chancellor.

The FPÖ's time in government was marked by internal tensions, and in 2005, Haider and a significant portion of the party leadership left to form the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ). This led to a decline in the FPÖ's popularity, and in the 2002 election, the party's support dropped to 10%. However, the party remained in government as a junior partner.

In 2005, Heinz-Christian Strache became the leader of the FPÖ, and the party gradually regained its popularity. In the 2017 election, the FPÖ won 26% of the vote and once again became the junior partner in a coalition government with the ÖVP. This government was short-lived, as it was ousted in 2019 due to a political scandal involving Strache, known as the Ibiza affair.

Following the Ibiza affair, the FPÖ suffered significant losses in federal and state elections. Strache was expelled from the party, and the party elected Norbert Hofer as its new leader in 2019. In the 2024 election, the FPÖ, now led by Herbert Kickl, won 28.85% of the vote, marking a significant recovery for the party. While the FPÖ finished first in the election, it was unable to form a government as potential coalition partners ruled out partnerships with the far right.

The FPÖ's policies include firm rules on legal immigration, the promotion of remigration, and opposition to the right to asylum. The party has also been critical of EU sanctions on Russia and has walked out of a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The FPÖ's victory in the 2024 election has opened the door to a new era of right-wing politics in Austria, with potential implications for the country's social and immigration policies.

The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP)

The ÖVP was founded in 1945 as an unofficial successor to the Christian Social Party, which was a staunchly conservative movement established in 1893 by Karl Lueger, the mayor of Vienna. The party has traditionally been one of the two major parties in Austria, alongside the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ). It was the most popular party until 1970 and has often governed in a grand coalition with the SPÖ. The ÖVP also briefly governed alone from 1966 to 1970.

In terms of its ideology, the ÖVP has been described as Christian-democratic, conservative, and liberal-conservative. It has also been characterised as a catch-all party of the centre-right. The party has explicitly defined itself as Catholic and anti-socialist, with a focus on subsidiarity and decentralisation. In recent years, under the leadership of Sebastian Kurz, the ÖVP has shifted further to the right, adopting policies similar to those of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). This shift included a promised crackdown on illegal immigration and a fight against political Islam.

The ÖVP has a strong presence in rural states such as Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg, but is less popular in the city-state of Vienna and in less strongly Catholic states like Burgenland and Carinthia.

Since its founding, the ÖVP has played a significant role in Austrian politics and has been a part of most federal cabinets. It has provided the Chancellor of Austria between 1945 and 1970 and has continuously been in government since 1987. The party's leader, Wolfgang Schüssel, served as Chancellor from 2000 to 2007. More recently, the ÖVP formed a coalition government with the Greens in 2020, marking the first time the Greens have gained power in Austria.

The Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ)

The SPÖ has played a significant role in Austrian politics and public life for decades. It was a driving force in the establishment of the First Austrian Republic in 1918, with its leader Karl Renner becoming the first chancellor. The party supported the idea of a union with Berlin to create a great democratic German republic but was forbidden by the Allies in the Treaty of St. Germain. After the First World War, the SDAPÖ briefly governed the First Austrian Republic but subsequently returned to the opposition.

The party was banned in 1934 following the Austrian Civil War and suppressed during the Austrofascist period and under Nazi rule. It was refounded as the Socialist Party of Austria in 1945 and played a crucial role in the re-establishment of Austria as a sovereign state after the Second World War. The SPÖ entered into a grand coalition with the ÖVP, which lasted until 1966. During this period, the party focused on economic growth and social equality, nationalising state enterprises and improving workers' rights.

From 1970 to 1999, the SPÖ governed the country either alone or with a junior partner. This period included the chancellorship of Bruno Kreisky, who led the party to three consecutive election victories. In 1991, the party reverted to its original name, the Social Democratic Party of Austria, emphasising its commitment to social democracy.

In the early 2000s, the SPÖ faced challenges due to the rise of the right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and suffered losses in the 2002 elections. Despite this, the party continued to play a significant role in opposition and formed another grand coalition with the ÖVP from 2007 to 2017.

In recent years, the SPÖ has struggled to adapt to the changing political landscape and has faced setbacks in national elections. However, it remains a force in Austrian politics, especially at the regional level, and aims to rebuild and serve as a strong opposition to the ÖVP-led coalition government.

The Ibiza Affair

In the video, Strache and Gudenus were seen discussing their party's underhanded practices and intentions with a woman calling herself Alyona Makarova, who was posing as a niece of Russian businessman Igor Makarov. Strache and Gudenus appeared receptive to Makarova's proposals, discussing the potential provision of positive news coverage for the FPÖ in return for government contracts. They also hinted at corrupt political practices involving other wealthy donors to the party in Europe and elsewhere.

The video was published on 17 May 2019 by the German news outlets Der Spiegel and Süddeutsche Zeitung, who had obtained and analysed parts of the footage. The scandal caused a political uproar in Austria, leading to the resignation of Strache and Gudenus on 18 May 2019. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of the centre-right Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) called for snap elections, which were set for 29 September 2019.

The affair also had broader implications for European politics. Centrist leaders across Europe hoped that the fallout from the scandal would impact far-right and populist parties in the European Parliament elections held that week. The scandal also raised questions about the FPÖ's relationship with Russia, as the party had a cooperation agreement with Vladimir Putin's United Russia party.

The Austrian government's stance on immigration

Austria's stance on immigration has been described as continuing ambivalence. The country has a history of both conservative and centre-left governments, with the former often taking a harder line on immigration.

In 2020, Austria's government implemented a mandatory programme called the Integration Agreement, which all third-country nationals (TCNs) must sign. This requires the completion of a first module, including a language course and a test on an A2 level, as well as participation in values and orientation courses within the first two years of residence. Migrants who complete this first module usually receive a three-year extension of their residence. Upon completion of the second module (requiring language level B1), migrants may apply for permanent residence.

The Integration Agreement is part of Austria's National Action Plan for Integration, which was first set up in 2010 and is implemented across different governance levels. The action plan focuses on labour market inclusion, as well as the acquisition of knowledge of the German language and the completion of values and orientation courses. It is understood as a two-way process that requires the provision of services from the state and the active participation of migrants.

Austria's immigration policy has been influenced by its history as a culturally and ethnically heterogeneous nation-state, as well as its experience with far-right politics. In the early 2000s, a coalition between the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the right-wing populist Freedom Party (FPÖ) implemented stricter immigration policies, including limiting the right to asylum and reducing social benefits for migrants. This coalition collapsed in 2017 due to a political scandal involving the FPÖ's leader.

Since then, Austria has had a Conservative-Green coalition government, with the ÖVP as the dominant party. While the ÖVP has rebranded itself as more centrist, it continues to take a tough stance on immigration, with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz stating: "People often come up to me at events and say they don’t feel at home in their own neighbourhood. They almost feel foreign where they live… We must keep fighting illegal immigration."

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