Austria: A Conservative Country?

Austria has a complex political history, with a mix of conservative, liberal, and far-right influences shaping its trajectory. The country's politics have been dominated by the centre-right People's Party, which has often ruled in coalition with other parties, including the far-right Freedom Party. This coalition has collapsed multiple times due to scandals and ideological differences. The Freedom Party, with its roots in conservative Christian-Socialism, has gained traction by taking hardline positions on issues like migration, European integration, and COVID-19 measures. Austria's political landscape is further complicated by the presence of other parties, such as the Social Democrats and the Greens, who have also played a role in governing the country.

Austria's far-right Freedom Party

The Freedom Party has served in Austria's governing coalition twice, in the early 2000s and from 2017 to 2019. In 2019, the party was involved in a scandal known as the "Ibiza affair," which brought down the coalition government. The scandal involved secret recordings of the party's leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, appearing to offer favours to a purported Russian investor. As a result, the party's support dropped significantly in the subsequent election.

However, the Freedom Party has since regained momentum, and in January 2025, it was tasked with forming a coalition government after receiving the most votes in the September 2024 general election. The party's leader, Herbert Kickl, is known for his anti-migration and pro-Kremlin stance, and his speeches during the election campaign were criticised for using Nazi-era slogans. The party's historic 29% vote share came amid a wave of voter anger over immigration and inflation, issues that have also been driving the hard right's surge in many Western democracies.

The Freedom Party's ideology has been described as national-conservative, right-wing populist, and far-right. It has criticised immigration and Islam, stoking controversy with slogans such as "Austria First" and "Fortress Austria." The party has also expressed Eurosceptic views, opposing Turkey's accession to the EU and criticising US foreign policy in the Middle East. Additionally, the party has been accused of involvement in right-wing extremism and possessing a neo-Nazi ideology due to its historical connections to former Nazis and its use of Nazi-era rhetoric.

The resurgence of the Freedom Party in Austria reflects a broader trend across Europe, with far-right parties gaining influence in countries such as Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Hungary. The party's success has been attributed to its ability to apply its populist and nationalist rhetoric to various crises affecting Europe, including the war in Ukraine, inflation, and rising energy prices.

The country's neutral status during the Cold War

Austria's neutral status during the Cold War was a significant strategic decision that maintained the country's importance on the world stage. Here is an overview of Austria's neutral status during this period:

The End of World War II and the Beginning of Occupation

When World War II ended, Austria was divided into four occupation zones, with Vienna, its capital, also subdivided and jointly occupied by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France. This occupation lasted from 1945 until 1955, with the Western Allies and the Soviet Union controlling different parts of the country.

The Moscow Declaration and the Austrian State Treaty

In 1943, the Allies agreed in the Moscow Declaration that Austria would be considered the first victim of Nazi aggression, acknowledging its role in Nazi crimes but also recognising its need for liberation and independence. This set the stage for Austria's eventual independence.

On May 15, 1955, the Austrian State Treaty was signed, officially ending the state of war in the country. The USSR, the USA, Great Britain, and France, the occupying powers, agreed to withdraw their forces in exchange for Austria's commitment to military neutrality. This treaty marked a turning point for Austria, freeing it from occupation and establishing its neutral status.

The Declaration of Neutrality

On October 26, 1955, the Austrian Parliament formally declared the country's permanent neutrality through the Declaration of Neutrality, a constitutional act. This declaration stated that Austria would not join any military alliances and would not allow foreign military bases on its territory. This decision was influenced by the country's recent experience of occupation and a desire to maintain independence.

The Impact of Neutrality

Austria's neutrality during the Cold War had a lasting impact. It became a member of the United Nations and the Council of Europe in 1955, and its capital, Vienna, became home to numerous international organisations, including the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Austria's neutrality also influenced its relationship with NATO and the European Union. It joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1995 but only after Russia had done so, respecting its neutral stance. Regarding the European Union, Austria's membership was controversial due to its neutrality, and it only joined in 1995 after a referendum, alongside other neutral countries like Finland and Sweden.

In summary, Austria's neutral status during the Cold War was a strategic decision that shaped its foreign policy and international relations. It allowed the country to recover from the war, maintain its independence, and become a significant player in international diplomacy, all while navigating the complex dynamics of the Cold War era.

The Austrian People's Party

The ÖVP was founded in 1945 as an unofficial successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has been one of the two traditional major parties in Austria, alongside the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ). The ÖVP was the most popular party until 1970 and has traditionally governed in a grand coalition with the SPÖ. The party has consistently been the strongest or second-strongest party in terms of Federal Assembly seats and has led or been a partner in most Austrian federal cabinets.

In the 1945 Austrian legislative election, the ÖVP won a landslide victory, taking almost half of the popular vote and an absolute majority in the legislature. However, the party chose to maintain a grand coalition with the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) and the SPÖ to avoid the hyper-partisanship that had plagued the First Republic. The ÖVP remained the senior partner in this coalition until 1966 and governed alone from 1966 to 1970.

After the 1999 Austrian legislative election, the ÖVP formed a coalition with the right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) led by Jörg Haider. This caused outrage in Europe, leading the European Union to impose informal diplomatic sanctions on Austria. However, the 2002 legislative election resulted in a landslide victory for the ÖVP, while Haider's FPÖ saw its vote share reduced significantly.

In recent years, the ÖVP has undergone a change in image under the leadership of Sebastian Kurz, adopting the colour turquoise and the alternate name, The New People's Party. In the 2017 legislative election, the party's campaign shifted rightward, promising a crackdown on illegal immigration and a fight against political Islam. After the election, the ÖVP formed a coalition government with the FPÖ, but this collapsed after eighteen months, leading to the 2019 election. Following this, the ÖVP formed a new coalition with The Greens.

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

The country's imperial past

Austria was a major imperial power in Central Europe for centuries, until the fall of the Habsburg dynasty after World War One. The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a multinational European great power from 1804 to 1867. It was created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, it was the third most populous monarchy in Europe after the Russian Empire and the United Kingdom.

The Empire was proclaimed by Francis II in 1804 in response to Napoleon's declaration of the First French Empire. It remained part of the Holy Roman Empire until the latter's dissolution in 1806. It continued fighting against Napoleon throughout the Napoleonic Wars, except for a period between 1809 and 1813, when Austria was first allied with Napoleon during the invasion of Russia and later neutral during the first few weeks of the Sixth Coalition War.

Austria and its allies emerged victorious in the war, leading to the Congress of Vienna, which reaffirmed the empire as one of the great powers of the 19th century. In 1815, Austria emerged from the Congress of Vienna as one of Europe's great powers.

In 1848, the French philosophy of middle-class revolution reached Austria, but the rebellion was promptly squashed, and Emperor Franz I and Metternich responded by cutting down civil liberties and introducing strict censorship.

In 1867, Austria formed a dual monarchy with Hungary: the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When this empire collapsed after the end of World War I in 1918, Austria was reduced to the main, mostly German-speaking areas of the empire (its current frontiers), and adopted the name, the Republic of German-Austria.

The country's current chancellor, Karl Nehammer

Karl Nehammer, born on October 18, 1972, is a member of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and has been the country's 29th chancellor since 2021. He grew up in Vienna, where he attended the Kalksburg and Amerlingstrasse Grammar Schools, graduating in 1992. After completing his military service, he worked as an instructional trainer for information officers for the Federal Ministry of Defence. Nehammer became politically active within the ÖVP party organisation after leaving the military, initially working with the party academy. He then held various positions within the party, including head of the service and mobilisation department, director of the party academy's Lower Austria association, and deputy general-secretary of the Austrian Workers' Union (ÖAAB).

Nehammer was elected as a representative for Vienna in the 2017 federal election and played a role in the subsequent government formation as a member of the ÖVP negotiating team in the area of defence. He also served as media spokesman and general-secretary of the ÖVP. In the 2019 federal election, he ran in fifth place in the ÖVP Vienna state list and eleventh place on the ÖVP federal list.

Nehammer was appointed Minister of the Interior in the second Kurz government and was sworn in on January 7, 2020. During his tenure, he was responsible for enforcing lockdowns and restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and supported Sebastian Kurz's refugee policy. He also led the government response to the 2020 Vienna attack, describing the attacker as an "Islamist terrorist" sympathiser of the Islamic State.

In October 2021, Nehammer became chancellor following the resignation of Sebastian Kurz amid a corruption investigation. He was sworn in by President Alexander Van der Bellen on December 6, 2021. As chancellor, Nehammer visited Kyiv and Moscow during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, confronting Russian President Vladimir Putin about war crimes and warning of a planned offensive in eastern Ukraine. Nehammer's government implemented a six billion euro package to cushion the blow of the rising cost of living for households.

Nehammer called for the termination of full membership negotiations between the EU and Turkey and opposed calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, criticising South Africa's genocide case against Israel. In the 2024 Austrian legislative election, the ÖVP placed second to the right-leaning Freedom Party, leading to Nehammer being tasked with forming a new government. However, after unsuccessful coalition talks, he resigned as chancellor on January 4, 2025.

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