The far-right won the Austrian election close, a boost for Putin

A far-right party founded by former Nazis appeared to have won Austria’s election on Sunday, a result that could change Europe’s political landscape and help rebalance the balance of power between Russia and the West.

Projection from public television ORF based on exit polls showing that the pro-Russia, anti-immigration Freedom Party, or FPÖ, has finished first with 29.1% % from voting.

They appear to have edged out the conservative Österreichische Volkspartei (ÖVP) or Austrian People’s Party, in second place with 26.2% of the vote. The Social Democratic Party of Austria finished third with 20.4%.

The FPÖ victory is the latest sign that a movement characterized by anti-immigrant and anti-Islamic sentiment has made inroads on the continent.

It represents a stunning reversal of fortunes for the party, which was forced out of government in 2019 following a corruption scandal. But it has fallen far from an absolute majority in a tight election and will need help to form a stable government.

However, building a coalition may be difficult, as all other major groups cannot work with the FPÖ.

As in other elections across Europe this summer that have seen political extremes overpower their moderate counterparts, Austria is likely to experience political uncertainty as parties struggle to take charge.

But even if the party fails to form a coalition government, the result will be a symbolic victory for the right.

The FPÖ is led by 55-year-old Herbert Kickl, dubbed the “Volkskanzler” or “People’s Chancellor,” by his party, a term most associated with the Nazis used to describe Adolf Hitler. Indeed, the FPÖ was founded in the 1950s by former members of Hitler’s SS paramilitary group, although Kickl and his supporters reject modern-day comparisons.

Like other far-right leaders, he has blamed high inflation as well as Europe’s migration crisis, where hundreds of thousands of people have fled war, poverty and natural disasters in the Middle East, North Africa and elsewhere.

Kickl has proposed a dramatic overhaul of Austria’s migration system, including the introduction of “remigration” of “undesirable foreigners” – deporting migrants to their countries of origin.

The party also has strong ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin – a staunch enemy of the European Union. The FPÖ not only called for an end to European support for Ukraine but also advocated an end to the sanctions imposed on Russia because of the war.

The party’s ideas and policies are not alien to ten million Austrians, and have been close to Austria’s political leaders in recent years. The FPÖ was a junior partner in a coalition government with the ÖVP between 2017 and 2019, a relationship that has been marred by scandal and conflict.

But while the FPÖ has always been subordinate in coalitions, it now holds the cards and can persuade others to help it form a government.

The OVP is the only party that has been open to alliances with far-right parties in the past, and it remains to be seen whether they will accept the sidekick role this time. Chancellor and ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer has so far rejected a coalition that includes Kickl.

But with Kickl now at the helm of Austria’s biggest party, the country joins a list of countries across Europe that are now in power after making gains this summer in Germany, France and the Netherlands.

For centuries, Austria has had a tremendous influence as a crossroads in the heart of Europe. Its neutral status, not officially allied with NATO or Russia, means it has long been a venue for politicians, diplomats and spies trying to tilt the geopolitical balance.

But that role is now at risk, with Adolf Hitler’s birthplace reckoning with a new, non-neutral government.

— NBC News’ Alexander Smith and Carlo Angerer contributed to this report.