Austria's Political Leanings: Left Or Right Wing?

Austria's political landscape is complex, with multiple parties competing for power. The Austrian People's Party (OVP) and the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO) have traditionally been the dominant forces, but newer parties like the Greens and NEOS are gaining traction. The Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) is a significant right-wing force, with a nationalist, anti-immigration, and EU-skeptic agenda. In the 2024 National Council election, the FPO emerged as the strongest party, marking a shift to the right in Austrian politics.

The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP)

The ÖVP is the second-largest party in the National Council, with 51 out of 183 seats, and won 26.3% of the votes in the 2024 legislative election. It holds seats in all nine state legislatures and is part of the government in seven, leading in six. The party has been described as centre-right and, for most of its existence, has explicitly defined itself as Catholic and anti-socialist. It is a member of the European People's Party and sits with the EPP group in the European Parliament.

The ÖVP was the most popular party until 1970 and has traditionally governed in a grand coalition with the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ). It was the senior partner in grand coalitions from 1945 to 1966 and the junior partner from 1986 to 2000 and 2007 to 2017. The party also briefly governed alone from 1966 to 1970. After the 1999 election, the ÖVP formed a controversial coalition with the right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), which led to diplomatic sanctions from the European Union.

The ÖVP has undergone a change in its image and political orientation in recent years, shifting further to the right under the leadership of Sebastian Kurz. This shift included a focus on cracking down on illegal immigration and fighting against political Islam, resembling the program of the FPÖ. The party changed its colour from black to turquoise and adopted the alternate name, The New People's Party.

In 2019, the ÖVP formed a new coalition with The Greens, marking the first time the Greens gained power in Austria. This coalition resulted in Austria's first female-majority cabinet, sworn in during the same week. However, in October 2021, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz resigned due to a corruption scandal, leading to the appointment of Karl Nehammer as the new chancellor and ÖVP leader.

The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ)

The FPÖ was founded to represent pan-Germanists and national liberals opposed to socialism and Catholic clericalism, which were represented by the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) and the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), respectively. Its first leader, Anton Reinthaller, was a former Nazi functionary and SS officer. Despite its roots, the party did not initially advocate for far-right policies and presented itself as a centrist party.

Under the leadership of Norbert Steger in the early 1980s, the FPÖ sought to style itself as a centrist liberal party in the mould of Germany's Free Democratic Party (FDP). However, this changed when Jörg Haider became the leader in 1986, marking the beginning of the party's ideological turn towards right-wing populism. This shift resulted in a surge in electoral support but also led to the SPÖ breaking ties and a splinter group forming the Liberal Forum in 1993.

The FPÖ has had a significant impact on Austrian politics, forming coalition governments with the ÖVP in 2000 and again in 2017. However, both coalitions were short-lived due to controversies and scandals involving FPÖ leaders. In 2000, Haider's extreme rhetoric led to international criticism and sanctions, while in 2019, the so-called Ibiza affair involving Heinz-Christian Strache, then-leader of the FPÖ, brought down the coalition government.

Despite these setbacks, the FPÖ remains a significant force in Austrian politics, placing first in the 2024 National Council election with 28.8% of the votes, marking a historic success. The party's ideology has evolved over time, but it continues to emphasise nationalism, opposition to immigration, and criticism of the EU.

The Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ)

The SPÖ is a social democratic party that advocates for social justice, equal opportunities, and the interests of workers, youth, and pensioners. The party supports Austria's membership in the European Union and is a member of the Progressive Alliance and Party of European Socialists. It is also associated with the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) and the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK).

Historically, the SPÖ has played a significant role in Austrian politics. It was a driving force in the establishment of the First Austrian Republic in 1918, with party leader Karl Renner becoming the first chancellor. The party was banned during the Austrofascist dictatorship from 1934 to 1938 and again during the Nazi period. After World War II, the SPÖ was reconstituted as the Socialist Party of Austria and entered into a grand coalition government with the ÖVP, which lasted until 1966.

From 1970 to 1999, the SPÖ governed the country either alone or with a junior partner. During this period, the party implemented various progressive policies, including the introduction of the 40-hour workweek. The SPÖ has also been instrumental in advancing gender equality, with the party congress deciding in 1993 to introduce a quota requiring at least 40% of SPÖ candidates to be female.

In recent years, the SPÖ has faced some challenges and has been less successful in reinventing itself compared to other parties. In the 2019 National Council elections, the party suffered heavy losses, ending up with a dozen fewer seats than in the previous legislative session. Despite these setbacks, the SPÖ remains a significant force in Austrian politics, currently forming the state government in some federal states.

The Greens – The Green Alternative (GRÜNE)

GRÜNE is a member of the European Green Party and Global Greens, and its basic values are outlined in its 2001 charter. The party is Pro-European and campaigns for the rights of minorities, advocating for a socio-ecological tax reform. In addition to ecological issues, GRÜNE supports direct democracy and is against corporate influence and centralized economic planning.

In the 2019 snap legislative election, GRÜNE made a strong comeback, scoring 13.9% of the votes and electing 25 MPs, an increase of 10.2% from the 2017 election. This success led to a coalition with the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), marking the first time the Greens have gained power in Austria.

GRÜNE's current leader is Werner Kogler, who replaced Ingrid Felipe after the 2017 election. The party's strong performance in recent years, combined with the losses of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) due to a scandal, positioned them as a desirable coalition partner for the ÖVP.

GRÜNE's youth organization, Grünalternative Jugend (Green Alternative Youth or GAJ), is considered left-wing and is a member of the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG). The party also has other affiliated organizations, such as the Grüne Frauenorganisation for women and the Grüne und Alternative Studierende (GRAS) for students.

NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum

In the 2019 legislative election, NEOS won 8.10% of the votes, an increase of 2.8 percentage points from the 2017 election. This resulted in the party gaining 15 seats in the National Council, up from 10 in the previous election. NEOS is represented in six of Austria's nine Landtage (state parliaments) and has been a coalition partner in several state governments.

The party's ideology has been described as classic centre-ground politics, with a focus on economic and tax policy overlap with the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and social and education policy similarities with the Greens. NEOS voters tend to be centrist, with a slight lean to the left compared to ÖVP voters. The party's goal is to bring a new style and form of participation into politics, counteracting stagnation and corruption, and appealing to moderate voters.

NEOS's chairwoman and parliamentary leader is Beate Meinl-Reisinger, who was elected with 94.8% of the vote in 2018. The party's youth wing is called JUNOS – Young liberal NEOS.

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