Austria's Right-Wing Government: How Far Have They Gone?

The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is a far-right, anti-immigration, eurosceptic party that has been gaining traction in Austrian politics. In 2024, the FPÖ won the most seats in a legislative election in Austria since World War II, with 28.8% of the vote. The party has called for the remigration of uninvited foreigners and a more homogeneous nation through tight border control and the suspension of the right to asylum. Despite this, the FPÖ has not been able to form a government, with a centrist coalition of the conservative People's Party (OVP), Social Democrats (SPO) and liberal Neos taking power in 2025.

The Freedom Party's anti-immigration stance

In February 2025, Austria's three leading centrist parties reached an agreement to form a new government without the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), despite the party finishing first in the previous year's parliamentary elections. The Freedom Party's anti-immigration stance is evidenced by its leader Herbert Kickl's campaign for mass "remigration" and its insistence on controlling the interior ministry. The party's demands for sweeping tax cuts, an expansion of Austria's debt and restrictions on EU fiscal policies also clashed with the pro-European ÖVP, ultimately leading to the breakdown of coalition talks.

Euroscepticism

The Freedom Party, a far-right, anti-immigration, and Eurosceptic party in Austria, won the country's parliamentary election in September 2025 with 28.8% of the vote. The party, led by Herbert Kickl, received a mandate to form a new government, which would have been the first headed by the far right since World War II. However, the Freedom Party failed to form a workable coalition, and a centrist alternative was formed by the conservative People's Party (OVP), Social Democrats (SPO), and liberal Neos.

The Freedom Party's election program, titled "Fortress Austria," included calls for the "remigration of uninvited foreigners" and achieving a more "homogeneous" nation through tight border controls and the suspension of the right to asylum via emergency law. These policies reflect a Eurosceptic sentiment, as they oppose the European Union's principles of free movement and human rights protections.

The Freedom Party's Euroscepticism is also evident in its opposition to sanctions against Russia. This stance aligns with the party's far-right ideology, as it promotes nationalism and sovereignty, often at the expense of international cooperation and integration.

While the Freedom Party has gained support in Austria, its inability to form a coalition government highlights the challenges faced by far-right and Eurosceptic parties in establishing stable governance. The formation of a centrist coalition, despite the Freedom Party's electoral victory, demonstrates the resistance to far-right governance and the importance of compromise and collaboration in Austrian politics.

Overall, the Freedom Party's Euroscepticism, as demonstrated by its policies and ideology, has had a significant impact on Austrian politics. While the party has gained support, its inability to form a government underscores the complexities of governing in a diverse and democratic society.

Opposition to sanctions against Russia

The Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) is a far-right, anti-immigration and eurosceptic party that opposes sanctions against Russia. Led by Herbert Kickl, the party won Austria's parliamentary election in September 2024, taking 28.8% of the vote. Despite this, the party failed to form a workable coalition and was kept out of power. Instead, a three-party coalition government was formed in February 2025, comprising the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), the centre-left Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the liberal Neos.

The Freedom Party's election programme, titled "Fortress Austria", called for the "remigration of uninvited foreigners" and a more "homogeneous" nation. It also proposed tightly controlling borders and suspending the right to asylum via an emergency law. The party has a history of scandal, with its previous government collapsing in 2019 due to a scandal involving the party's leader at the time.

The party's election win in September 2025

The Freedom Party's platform included anti-immigration and euroskeptic policies, as well as opposition to sanctions against Russia. They called for the "remigration of uninvited foreigners" and a more "homogeneous" nation through tight border controls and the suspension of the right to asylum.

Despite their election win, the Freedom Party struggled to form a coalition government. In March 2025, a centrist alternative emerged, with the conservative People's Party (OVP), Social Democrats (SPO), and liberal Neos striking an alliance. This three-party government kept the far-right Freedom Party out of power, ending their bid to lead the country for the first time since World War II.

The formation of the three-party coalition government was a challenging process, with Christian Stocker, the expected chancellor, calling the negotiations "perhaps the most difficult... in the history of our country." This new government marked a shift away from the far-right agenda of the Freedom Party and towards a more centrist approach to governing Austria.

The party's failure to form a workable coalition

Although the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) won September's parliamentary election with 28.8% to 29% of the vote, the party failed to form a workable coalition, opening the door to a centrist alternative.

The FPO is anti-immigration, eurosceptic, and opposed to sanctions against Russia. It had been led by Herbert Kickl, who served as interior minister from 2017 to 2019. However, the party's first attempt to lead the government collapsed in a scandal surrounding the Freedom Party's leader at the time.

In January 2025, the FPO received a mandate to try to form a new government, which would have been the first headed by the far right since World War II. However, the party's bid crumbled, and a coalition was formed by the conservative People's Party (OVP), Social Democrats (SPO), and liberal Neos.

The failure of the FPO to form a workable coalition can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the party's extreme far-right policies, such as its anti-immigration stance and calls for a "homogeneous" nation, may have made it difficult to find coalition partners willing to work with them. Additionally, the FPO's previous experience in government, which ended in scandal, may have made other parties hesitant to form a coalition with them. Furthermore, the FPO's opposition to sanctions against Russia could have been a sticking point for potential coalition partners, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Finally, the FPO's leader, Herbert Kickl, has been described as having a taste for provocation, which may have made other parties wary of forming a coalition with them.

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