Austria's Vaccination Rates: How Does It Fare?

In September 2024, Austria's Freedom Party (FPÖ) won the country's national election, securing 29% of the vote. This marked the first far-right national parliamentary election victory in post-World War II Austria. Led by Herbert Kickl, the Freedom Party's success was attributed to tapping into voters' anxieties about immigration, inflation, the war in Ukraine, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The party's rise has sparked concerns about the future of democracy and political stability in the country.

What are Austria's COVID-19 vaccination rates?

As of September 2024, Austria's COVID-19 vaccination rates are unclear. However, it is known that the country implemented a short-lived coronavirus vaccine mandate in 2022, angering many Austrians.

Austria was the first country in Europe to make it compulsory to get vaccinated against COVID-19. While the details of the mandate are unclear, it was a criminal offence not to be vaccinated. The mandate was enforced by the Austrian government, which, at the time, was a coalition of Chancellor Karl Nehammer's Austrian People's Party and the environmentalist Greens.

The vaccine mandate, along with the multiple crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising energy prices, and inflation, cost the government support. This dissatisfaction among Austrians may have contributed to the rise of the far-right Freedom Party in the country's September 2024 national election.

The Freedom Party, led by Herbert Kickl, tapped into anxieties about COVID-19 measures and restrictions, as well as inflation, the war in Ukraine, and immigration. The party's leader, Herbert Kickl, stood against what he called "woke madness" and supported civil liberties during the pandemic.

While the exact vaccination rates in Austria are unclear, the country's short-lived vaccine mandate and the subsequent political backlash provide insight into the complex social and political landscape surrounding COVID-19 vaccination in the country.

How has Austria's vaccine mandate impacted its politics?

Austria's COVID-19 vaccination mandate, which has since been scrapped, raised many societal issues and impacted the country both socially and politically. The mandate changed Austria by contributing to the further politicisation of vaccinations and the radicalisation of vaccination opponents.

The controversial mandate caused a backlash, with weekly anti-vaccination protests held in cities like Vienna. A poll for Profil magazine in January 2022 revealed that 51% of those surveyed were against mandatory vaccination. The decision to make COVID-19 vaccination compulsory for all over-18s in Austria led to months of debate between politicians and experts and increased the politicisation of vaccination in the country.

The mandate particularly impacted Austria's political landscape by shifting the focus of societal discussions. According to Dr Barbara Prainsack from the University of Vienna, the mandate caused society to "lose a lot of time discussing a vaccination mandate instead of discussing more important issues, such as, how do we protect people who are vulnerable besides increasing vaccination uptake?".

The long-term impacts of the mandate on Austrian politics are yet to be fully understood, and they will depend on the government's ability to address crucial issues, learn from past mistakes, and potentially let go of the idea of a vaccination mandate.

What is the Freedom Party's stance on vaccination?

The Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) is a far-right Eurosceptic party that has been labelled "Russia-friendly". The party has never been in government by itself but has previously been a junior partner in coalition governments.

The FPO's stance on vaccination is informed by its leader Herbert Kickl's belief that conspiracy theories about vaccines are valid. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Austria made it a crime not to be vaccinated, and Kickl stood on the side of civil liberties, opposing vaccine mandates, and arguing that mask mandates were useless and lockdowns were unnecessary and costly.

In addition to its anti-vaccine mandate stance, the FPO has also been critical of Western military aid to Ukraine and wants to withdraw from the European Sky Shield Initiative, a missile defence project. The party also wants to end sanctions against Russia.

How has the Freedom Party performed in recent elections?

The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is a political party in Austria, described as far-right, right-wing populist, national-conservative, eurosceptic and russophile. It is currently led by Herbert Kickl, who has served as leader since 2021.

In the 2024 Austrian legislative election, the Freedom Party won 29.2% of the vote, placing first and achieving its best result in the party's history. This was the first time a far-right party had won a national parliamentary election in post-World War II Austria. The Freedom Party's success has been attributed to tapping into anxieties about immigration, inflation, the war in Ukraine, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite winning the most votes, the Freedom Party's chances of governing are unclear. To become the leader of Austria, Kickl would need a coalition partner to command a parliamentary majority. However, rivals, including Chancellor Karl Nehammer, have stated that they will not work with Kickl in government, describing him as a ""security risk". The Freedom Party's only path to government appears to be through a coalition with Nehammer's Austrian People's Party, which would likely require Kickl to renounce a position in the government.

In the 2019 Austrian parliamentary election, the Freedom Party's support slumped to 16.2% after a scandal involving then-vice chancellor and Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache. Strache was caught on a secretly recorded video appearing to offer favours to a purported Russian investor, which brought down the government in which the Freedom Party was the junior partner.

In the 2017 Austrian legislative election, the Freedom Party obtained 26% of the votes, increasing its seats by eleven to 51, and achieving its best result since the 1999 election. The party entered coalition talks with the Austrian People's Party and created a coalition government, with the Freedom Party gaining control over six ministries, including defence, interior, and foreign affairs. However, this coalition collapsed in May 2019 due to the Ibiza affair, in which Strache was implicated in a scandal involving a purported Russian national.

In the 1999 general election, the Freedom Party won 27% of the votes, beating the Austrian People's Party for the first time. The Freedom Party formed a coalition government with the Austrian People's Party, but internal tensions and the departure of several key figures, including Jörg Haider, led to a decline in the party's popularity. In the 2002 general election, the Freedom Party's vote share decreased to 10.2%.

Overall, the Freedom Party of Austria has had varying levels of success in recent elections, with its best result in the 2024 election, placing first with 29.2% of the vote. However, its chances of governing are uncertain due to its controversial far-right stance and the reluctance of other parties to form a coalition.

What is the political landscape of Austria post-election?

In September 2024, Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) won the country's first national parliamentary election since World War II. The party, led by Herbert Kickl, secured 28.8% to 29.2% of the vote, tapping into anxieties about immigration, inflation, and the war in Ukraine. However, the party's chances of governing are unclear, as political rivals have refused to work with Kickl, and forming a coalition government without them will be challenging.

The election results have significant implications for Austria's political landscape and raise concerns about the country's democratic stability. The Freedom Party's victory is part of a broader right-wing wave sweeping through Europe, and their success has been attributed to toxic media discourse, paranoia surrounding immigration and crime, and the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The party has capitalized on anti-immigration sentiments and spread misinformation about the war in Ukraine, leveraging Austria's constitutionally enshrined neutrality to portray the governing parties as reckless warmongers.

The sitting Federal Chancellor, Karl Nehammer of the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), now faces a critical juncture. Nehammer has been tasked with forming a new government and preventing the country from descending into an authoritarian, aggressive right-wing regime. The most likely outcome is a coalition between the ÖVP, the Social Democrats (SPÖ), and the centrist NEOS party. However, this process will be challenging, as the ÖVP and SPÖ have historically dominated Austrian politics, and the rise of the far-right has disrupted the traditional two-party system.

The SPÖ, which led many of Austria's post-World War II governments, suffered one of its poorest results in the 2024 election, securing only 21% to 21.1% of the vote. The party's internal divisions and conflicts have been cited as contributing factors to this disappointing performance. Meanwhile, the ÖVP's popularity has also declined sharply compared to previous years, and they now face a challenge in forming a stable coalition that excludes the far-right.

In summary, the post-election political landscape in Austria is characterized by the rise of the far-right Freedom Party, the decline of traditional centrist parties, and the urgent need to form a stable coalition government that can counter the extremist threats to Austria's democracy and political stability. The coming months will be pivotal in determining the country's political trajectory and its relationship with the European Union and Western allies.

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