Another friend of the Kremlin. A "people's chancellor" may appear in Austria
January 9, 2025
For the first time since World War II, a far-right politician can become the Chancellor of Austria. The leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (AFP) Herbert Kickl is known for his benevolent statements against the Kremlin, hostile to Ukraine, hostility to immigrants and support for the anti-vax movement during the covid pandemic. His coming to power may change the balance of political forces not only in Austria, but also in the whole of Central Europe.
"I instructed Mr. Kikl to find a viable solution. I advised him to start coalition negotiations with the People's Party," Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said after a meeting with Herbert Kickl in Vienna's Hofburg, the residence of the head of state, last Monday. Van der Bellen did not look too happy, which is understandable: the left-liberal president, the former leader of the Austrian "greens" and the head of the right-wing populist APS do not have sympathy for each other. Kickl, who does not hesitate to express himself, even called 81-year-old Van der Bellen a "mummy from Hofburg".
We don't dance with Putin. Austrian special services are isolated because of Russia
After the "free" won the parliamentary elections last fall, gaining about 29 percent of the votes, the president refused to entrust their leader with the formation of a new government. Instead, he appealed to the former chancellor, leader of the second-placed conservative People's Party (ANP) Karl Nehammer to agree on the creation of a new ruling coalition. Nehammer, known for his rejection of the Freedom Party, tried to make a cabinet with the Social Democrats and a small liberal party NEOS. But it didn't work out: the parties did not agree on how to pull Austria out of a rather acute budget crisis.
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and the leader of the Austrian Freedom Party Herbert Kickl
Nehammer (he was remembered by the fact that in 2022, a couple of months after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he went to Moscow to Vladimir Putin with a not quite clear and unended diplomatic mission) spread his hands and announced that he was resigning from the posts of Chancellor and leader of the Conservatives. The ANP immediately elected a new boss, Christian Stoker, who said that he "does not refuse" to negotiate with the "free". A possible coalition of the ANP and the APS would not be something new in itself: both parties have already cooperated in this way from 2000 to 2007 and from 2017 to 2019. But both times the right-wing populists were a junior partner in the coalition. This time, Herbert Kickle (in the last joint cabinet with the Conservatives he was the Minister of Internal Affairs) will clearly disagree with such a role.
I instructed Mr. Kikl to find a viable solution
Киклю 56 лет, но выглядит он моложаво и находится в хорошей спортивной форме: бегает марафоны и увлекается альпинизмом. Поклонники называют его "Лионелем Месси австрийской политики", намекая на атакующий стиль и впечатляющие успехи. Герберт Кикль был причастен к обоим последним взлетам своей партии – в середине прошлого десятилетия и теперь, в 2020-е. Многие считают именно его заслугой возрождение "свободных" после скандала 2019 года. Тогдашний лидер правых популистов Хайнц-Кристиан Штрахеопозорился: находясь на отдыхе на испанском острове Ибица, он в не совсем трезвом состоянии любезничал с некой дамой, представлявшейся племянницей российского олигарха. Почему бы и нет, но вот обсуждали они в том числе и политические вопросы, а именно – возможности организации пиар-компании "свободных" во влиятельных СМИ в обмен на некоторые государственные контракты. Обнародование видеозаписи встречи стоило Штрахе карьеры, а его партии – значительной части рейтинга.
How the "nece of the Russian oligarch" overthrew the Austrian government
But soon Herbert Kickl came forward for the first roles in the APS, and the affairs of the extreme right went well again. The covid pandemic helped Kikly: the "free" under his leadership cooperated with a rather massive protest movement in Austria against lockdowns and vaccinations. Kikl became famous, in particular, for the fact that together with his supporters he refused to wear a protective mask at parliamentary meetings. In the eyes of the nationalist part of the electorate, the leader of the APS benefited his sharp criticism of the European Union, and promises to reduce taxes, and propaganda of tightening migration policy, and, finally, his deliberate commitment to the principle of neutrality, included in the Austrian constitution. Like other right-wing populists in Europe, the "free" position themselves as a party of "common sense" and protection of the interests of the "ordinary man" from bureaucracy with its various instructions and regulations and progressive innovations.
After the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kikl said that sanctions against Moscow violate both Austria's neutrality and international law. He sharply criticized President Van der Bellen for visiting Kiev. When Vladimir Zelensky spoke to the deputies of the Austrian parliament in early 2023, representatives of the APS led by Kikl left the meeting room. The leader of the "free" blames both Russia and NATO for the war in Ukraine. He also spoke out against Austria's reception of Ukrainian refugees, stating that they should remain in countries neighboring Ukraine, and the EU should take care of them. At the same time, other leading politicians from the ranks of the APS supported Austria's assistance to refugees. In general, even in his own party, Herbert Kickl has earned a reputation as a man of radical views, but in the conditions of political polarization, this only played into his hands and the "free".
Protest march against restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vienna, December 11, 2021
Kikl says that he would like to become a "people's chancellor" (Volkskanzler). This expression alarms his opponents, who remind them that the Austrian Nazis called Hitler in the 1930s in the 1930s, shortly before the Anschluss - the absorption of Austria by the Third Reich. By the way, the APS leader has long-standing connections in ultra-right circles, for example, among identists who support racial discrimination. Kikl himself avoids the direct expression of such views, preferring to talk about the desirability of a "more homogeneous" society and the need to turn refugee camps into "remigrant camps" - meaning sending asylum seekers in Austria back to their homeland.
There is despondency and anxiety among the opponents of the "free". As the editor-in-chief of the liberal Austrian newspaper Der Standard Gerold Riedmann notes, "under Kikl, the APS is hostile to what constitutes the most important features of the Austrian political landscape, from social partnership to our place in the center of Europe and freedom of the press, calling all this a "system" against which the "free" fight. According to Ridmann, "the government led by right-wing populists will not solve existing problems, but will only create new ones". The observer, however, blames the Social Democrats, Conservatives and Liberals for what happened, who together represent the vast majority of voters, but were unable to agree. It is difficult to blame President Van der Bellen for this situation: he acted in accordance with the law, which left him with a very narrow room for maneuver after the failure of Chancellor Nehammer.
The government led by right-wing populists will not solve existing problems, but will only create new ones
The possible coming of the "people's chancellor" to power will cause joy not only in the Kremlin, but also among the leaders of Hungary and Slovakia neighboring Austria. Prime Ministers of these countries Victor Orban and Robert Fico are like-minded leaders of the APS when it comes to views on the war in Ukraine, migration and the European Union. The parties of Orban and Kikl, together with a dozen other nationalist and right-wing populist associations from different countries, formed the Patriots for Europe faction last year, the third largest in the European Parliament. According to the Czech weekly Forum 24, if Kikl becomes the Austrian chancellor, and in the Czech Republic, according to the results of the autumn elections, the ANO movement of the billionaire, former Prime Minister Andrei Babish will return to power (this is, according to the polls, very likely), then a "new Visegrad Four" will appear in the center of Europe, this time uniting national-populist and pro-Kremlin governments.
But can the chancellor's chair be considered a matter for Herbert Kikl as a matter decided? He himself has already warned the conservatives that he expects "honest negotiations" from them. Kikl's tone leaves no doubt: he sees himself as someone who will dictate the terms of a possible coalition agreement. The German edition of Spiegel, however, considers three scenarios to be real: 1) a quick agreement between the APS and the ANP and Kikl as Chancellor; 2) the failure of negotiations due to the different views of both parties on many issues, including the war in Ukraine and relations with Russia; 3) deliberate disruption of negotiations by the "free" themselves in anticipation of new elections. On them, according to public opinion polls, Kikl's party can expect even greater success: since autumn, its rating has increased to about 35 percent.
Another friend of the Kremlin. A "people's chancellor" may appear in Austria
January 9, 2025
For the first time since World War II, a far-right politician can become the Chancellor of Austria. The leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (AFP) Herbert Kickl is known for his benevolent statements against the Kremlin, hostile to Ukraine, hostility to immigrants and support for the anti-vax movement during the covid pandemic. His coming to power may change the balance of political forces not only in Austria, but also in the whole of Central Europe.
"I instructed Mr. Kikl to find a viable solution. I advised him to start coalition negotiations with the People's Party," Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said after a meeting with Herbert Kickl in Vienna's Hofburg, the residence of the head of state, last Monday. Van der Bellen did not look too happy, which is understandable: the left-liberal president, the former leader of the Austrian "greens" and the head of the right-wing populist APS do not have sympathy for each other. Kickl, who does not hesitate to express himself, even called 81-year-old Van der Bellen a "mummy from Hofburg".
We don't dance with Putin. Austrian special services are isolated because of Russia
After the "free" won the parliamentary elections last fall, gaining about 29 percent of the votes, the president refused to entrust their leader with the formation of a new government. Instead, he appealed to the former chancellor, leader of the second-placed conservative People's Party (ANP) Karl Nehammer to agree on the creation of a new ruling coalition. Nehammer, known for his rejection of the Freedom Party, tried to make a cabinet with the Social Democrats and a small liberal party NEOS. But it didn't work out: the parties did not agree on how to pull Austria out of a rather acute budget crisis.
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and the leader of the Austrian Freedom Party Herbert Kickl
Nehammer (he was remembered by the fact that in 2022, a couple of months after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he went to Moscow to Vladimir Putin with a not quite clear and unended diplomatic mission) spread his hands and announced that he was resigning from the posts of Chancellor and leader of the Conservatives. The ANP immediately elected a new boss, Christian Stoker, who said that he "does not refuse" to negotiate with the "free". A possible coalition of the ANP and the APS would not be something new in itself: both parties have already cooperated in this way from 2000 to 2007 and from 2017 to 2019. But both times the right-wing populists were a junior partner in the coalition. This time, Herbert Kickle (in the last joint cabinet with the Conservatives he was the Minister of Internal Affairs) will clearly disagree with such a role.
I instructed Mr. Kikl to find a viable solution
Киклю 56 лет, но выглядит он моложаво и находится в хорошей спортивной форме: бегает марафоны и увлекается альпинизмом. Поклонники называют его "Лионелем Месси австрийской политики", намекая на атакующий стиль и впечатляющие успехи. Герберт Кикль был причастен к обоим последним взлетам своей партии – в середине прошлого десятилетия и теперь, в 2020-е. Многие считают именно его заслугой возрождение "свободных" после скандала 2019 года. Тогдашний лидер правых популистов Хайнц-Кристиан Штрахеопозорился: находясь на отдыхе на испанском острове Ибица, он в не совсем трезвом состоянии любезничал с некой дамой, представлявшейся племянницей российского олигарха. Почему бы и нет, но вот обсуждали они в том числе и политические вопросы, а именно – возможности организации пиар-компании "свободных" во влиятельных СМИ в обмен на некоторые государственные контракты. Обнародование видеозаписи встречи стоило Штрахе карьеры, а его партии – значительной части рейтинга.
How the "nece of the Russian oligarch" overthrew the Austrian government
But soon Herbert Kickl came forward for the first roles in the APS, and the affairs of the extreme right went well again. The covid pandemic helped Kikly: the "free" under his leadership cooperated with a rather massive protest movement in Austria against lockdowns and vaccinations. Kikl became famous, in particular, for the fact that together with his supporters he refused to wear a protective mask at parliamentary meetings. In the eyes of the nationalist part of the electorate, the leader of the APS benefited his sharp criticism of the European Union, and promises to reduce taxes, and propaganda of tightening migration policy, and, finally, his deliberate commitment to the principle of neutrality, included in the Austrian constitution. Like other right-wing populists in Europe, the "free" position themselves as a party of "common sense" and protection of the interests of the "ordinary man" from bureaucracy with its various instructions and regulations and progressive innovations.
After the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kikl said that sanctions against Moscow violate both Austria's neutrality and international law. He sharply criticized President Van der Bellen for visiting Kiev. When Vladimir Zelensky spoke to the deputies of the Austrian parliament in early 2023, representatives of the APS led by Kikl left the meeting room. The leader of the "free" blames both Russia and NATO for the war in Ukraine. He also spoke out against Austria's reception of Ukrainian refugees, stating that they should remain in countries neighboring Ukraine, and the EU should take care of them. At the same time, other leading politicians from the ranks of the APS supported Austria's assistance to refugees. In general, even in his own party, Herbert Kickl has earned a reputation as a man of radical views, but in the conditions of political polarization, this only played into his hands and the "free".
Protest march against restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vienna, December 11, 2021
Kikl says that he would like to become a "people's chancellor" (Volkskanzler). This expression alarms his opponents, who remind them that the Austrian Nazis called Hitler in the 1930s in the 1930s, shortly before the Anschluss - the absorption of Austria by the Third Reich. By the way, the APS leader has long-standing connections in ultra-right circles, for example, among identists who support racial discrimination. Kikl himself avoids the direct expression of such views, preferring to talk about the desirability of a "more homogeneous" society and the need to turn refugee camps into "remigrant camps" - meaning sending asylum seekers in Austria back to their homeland.
There is despondency and anxiety among the opponents of the "free". As the editor-in-chief of the liberal Austrian newspaper Der Standard Gerold Riedmann notes, "under Kikl, the APS is hostile to what constitutes the most important features of the Austrian political landscape, from social partnership to our place in the center of Europe and freedom of the press, calling all this a "system" against which the "free" fight. According to Ridmann, "the government led by right-wing populists will not solve existing problems, but will only create new ones". The observer, however, blames the Social Democrats, Conservatives and Liberals for what happened, who together represent the vast majority of voters, but were unable to agree. It is difficult to blame President Van der Bellen for this situation: he acted in accordance with the law, which left him with a very narrow room for maneuver after the failure of Chancellor Nehammer.
The government led by right-wing populists will not solve existing problems, but will only create new ones
The possible coming of the "people's chancellor" to power will cause joy not only in the Kremlin, but also among the leaders of Hungary and Slovakia neighboring Austria. Prime Ministers of these countries Victor Orban and Robert Fico are like-minded leaders of the APS when it comes to views on the war in Ukraine, migration and the European Union. The parties of Orban and Kikl, together with a dozen other nationalist and right-wing populist associations from different countries, formed the Patriots for Europe faction last year, the third largest in the European Parliament. According to the Czech weekly Forum 24, if Kikl becomes the Austrian chancellor, and in the Czech Republic, according to the results of the autumn elections, the ANO movement of the billionaire, former Prime Minister Andrei Babish will return to power (this is, according to the polls, very likely), then a "new Visegrad Four" will appear in the center of Europe, this time uniting national-populist and pro-Kremlin governments.
But can the chancellor's chair be considered a matter for Herbert Kikl as a matter decided? He himself has already warned the conservatives that he expects "honest negotiations" from them. Kikl's tone leaves no doubt: he sees himself as someone who will dictate the terms of a possible coalition agreement. The German edition of Spiegel, however, considers three scenarios to be real: 1) a quick agreement between the APS and the ANP and Kikl as Chancellor; 2) the failure of negotiations due to the different views of both parties on many issues, including the war in Ukraine and relations with Russia; 3) deliberate disruption of negotiations by the "free" themselves in anticipation of new elections. On them, according to public opinion polls, Kikl's party can expect even greater success: since autumn, its rating has increased to about 35 percent.
