The far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) has emerged as the strongest force in the 2024 National Council election, according to preliminary results announced by Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.
While Austria is officially neutral and does not provide military support to Ukraine, it has been supportive of EU humanitarian and financial assistance to Ukraine. The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) consistently criticized sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia and has demonstrated a pro-Russian stance.
The FPÖ, led by Herbert Kickl, secured 29.2% of the vote, outpacing the current conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) led by Karl Nehammer, which garnered 26.5%. Nehammer has positioned the party as a supporter of EU unity and sanctions against Russia, balancing Austria’s historical neutrality with a commitment to European solidarity.
The Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) came in third with 21% of the vote, while the liberal NEOS and the Greens secured 9% and 8% respectively. These results, if confirmed, would translate to 58 seats for the FPÖ, 52 for the ÖVP, and 41 for the SPÖ in the National Council.
Herbert Kickl, the 55-year-old chairman of the Freedom Party, has forged strong ties with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Czech opposition leader Andrej Babiš, culminating in the formation of “Patriots for Europe,” a coalition of nationalist and populist parties that now constitutes the largest opposition bloc in the European Parliament.
Should he ascend to power, Kickl pledges to steer Austria towards a policy of strict neutrality regarding the war in Ukraine.
Voter turnout stood at 74.9%, with 4,753,340 votes cast out of 6,346,059 eligible voters.
The Federal Election Authority is set to announce the official final results on 16 October.
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