Parliamentary elections are taking place in Austria, with migration issues dominating the electoral cycle, along others such as the economy and war in Ukraine. The country’s far-right party has a chance to win the most votes for the first time, though may struggle to form a government.
The anti-migration Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is running against the currently reigning Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), as well as the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS) and several other smaller parties. While the FPÖ has risen in voter polling since the last election, they currently enjoy just a slight lead over the ÖVP. The SPÖ trails a few points further behind. If the FPÖ were to win the most votes, it would be the first time in the party’s history.
The FPÖ, led by Herbert Kickl, has put migration issues front and center of their campaign. Their campaign slogan is ‘Fortress Austria,’ appropriating the critical phrase ‘Fortress Europe’ often used by migration advocates to describe restrictive European Union policies in recent years.
“For months the FPÖ has warned of a renewed rise in the number of asylum seekers, and the consequences of this mass migration,” reads the intro text on the FPÖ campaign website. “What is needed now is Fortress Austria.”
The party has repeatedly attacked the governing coalition led by the ÖVP on its record on asylum and migration, and framed migration as an existential issue for Austrian society.
For those familiar with anti-immigration rhetoric, the FPÖ’s stance will be familiar. According to the party’s campaign materials, asylum seekers “import” violence when they seek shelter in Austria, endangering ordinary citizens and abusing the social and welfare systems.
“The protection of our women and children must be more important than the right of asylum seekers to safety,” reads the campaign website.
While the FPÖ might be the most strident in its anti-immigrant rhetoric, the party’s main general election contenders have also positioned themselves to the right on migration issues. Chancellor Karl Nehammer of the ÖVP is a long-time hardliner on immigration. Earlier in 2024 he praised the United Kingdom’s now-scrapped plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. He has also called for the EU to strike more deals with third countries to stop people trying to reach Europe via their territory.
Similarly, the nominally center-left SPÖ party, currently projected third in voter polls for this general election, sits on the right when it comes to migration. Party leader Andreas Babler has said he wants to cut asylum applications by 75% and has spoken out against ‘economic migrants’ claiming asylum in Austria. Babler himself only narrowly beat out the stridently anti-irregular migration Hans Peter Doskozil for the leadership of the SPÖ in 2023. Doskozil had previously called for asylum seekers to be barred from entering the EU’s territory at all – in direct contravention of international refugee conventions to which Austria is a signatory.
Whether or not the FPÖ wins the most votes in Sunday’s general election, it is unclear what coalition will form the next government in Austria. No party is projected to win anywhere near an outright majority, so likely a two-party coalition will have to be negotiated. The current government is a tense coalition between the ÖVP and Greens. With support for the Greens having waned considerably, the most likely contenders to form the next government are the FPÖ and ÖVP. Chancellor Nehammer has said he is open to forming a government with the FPÖ – who are aligned with them on a number of economic policies – but not if Herbert Kickl remains leader. Depending on the outcome of Sunday’s vote, however, he may be faced with little choice.