Empty election victory: Putin's friends in Austria will not be able to form coalition

The victory of the eurosceptic, pro-Russian FPO in the September 29 election marks another milestone in the recent rise of far-right forces across Europe. However, the party quickly faced a harsh reality check.

Confronted by FPO leader Herbert Kickl in a television studio after the results were announced, leaders of other parliamentary parties rejected his proposals to form a coalition.

The FPO outpaced Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s conservative People's Party (OVP) by roughly 2.5 percentage points, securing around 29% of the vote—the best result in the party’s history.

However, this opens the door for the second- and third-place parties—the Chancellor's conservative party and the Social Democrats—to join forces to govern. Together, they command over 50% of the parliamentary seats, giving them the majority needed to form a coalition.

President Alexander Van der Bellen, a former leader of the Greens responsible for overseeing government formation, urged all parties to engage in negotiations with one another, hinting that the process could take even longer than the two to three months Austrians are used to.

Far-right party

Kickl, a provocative figure and ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, opposes aid to Ukraine and calls for the lifting of sanctions against Russia, arguing that they hurt Austria more than Moscow.

Supporters claim the FPO’s Austria First policies would curb illegal immigration and boost the economy. Critics fear it could herald a more authoritarian state.

The FPO, founded in the 1950s under the leadership of a former Nazi legislator, has worked to soften its image. Voters were drawn to its promises to limit asylum provisions and fight inflation.

The FPO's victory came with a wider margin than opinion polls had predicted, but its triumph risks being hollow if Kickl cannot find a willing coalition partner.