THE rise of the far-right in Europe saw the Freedom Party marking a historic win in Sunday’s elections in Austria.
The hard-right party, founded by a former Nazi SS officer, won with 29.2 per cent of the vote after pledging to introduce tighter border controls and cut military aid to Ukraine.
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The FPO’s election program, titled Fortress Austria, called for tougher immigration laws such as suspending the right to asylum as well as for an end to sanctions against Russia.
The party’s leader, Herbert Kickl, who campaigned using the “people’s chancellor” moniker once used to describe Hitler, said he was ready to form a government with “each and every one” of the parties in parliament.
While rivals said they would not work with Kickl, it is likely the FPO will partner with the conservative Austrian People’s Party (OVP), which finished runner-up and also wants to impose tougher immigration rules.
The FPO party was founded by former SS and Nazi member Anton Reinthaller.
Born in Mettmach, Austria- Hungary, Reinthaller, rose through the ranks of Austria‘s Nazi set-up.
He later became Hitler’s Minister for Agriculture and joined the SS in December 1938.
On Sunday’s elections, the Freedom Party secured the first far-right victory in post-World War II Austria.
Kickl was followed by Chancellor Karl Nehammers of Austrian Peoples Party who was second with 26.5 per cent.
The center-left Social Democrats were in third place with 21 percent.
Among other immigration laws the Freedom Party also calls for an end to sanctions against Russia, is highly critical of Western military aid to Ukraine and wants to bow out of the European Sky Shield Initiative, a missile defense project launched by Germany.
Kickl has criticised elites in Brussels and called for some powers to be brought back from the European Union to Austria.
“We don’t need to change our position, because we have always said that we’re ready to lead a government, we’re ready to push forward this change in Austria side by side with the people, ” Kickl said.
“The other parties should ask themselves where they stand on democracy, he added, arguing that they should sleep on the result.”
Kickl was congratulated by other leaders of far-right parties including Dutch Geert Wilders and Alice Weidel, a co-leader of the Alternative for Germany party.
Who was Anton Reinthaller?
Anton Reinthaller was the founder of Austria’s Freedom Party after a career in Nazi Germany.
Born in Upper Austria in 1895, Reinthaller, served as a soldier in the First World War.
He was a Russian prisoner of war before being exchanged in 1918.
After Austria’s annexation to Hitler’s Germany , Reinthaller became Minister for Agriculture and Forestry.
He was later appointed Undersecretary of State in the Reich Ministry of Food in Berlin.
He served as a lieutenant general in the SS and as a member of the Nazi parliament until the end of WWII.
After the Second World War, he was charged in 1950 with “high treason against the Austrian people.”
In April 1956 he founded the FPO party in Vienna and served as its chairman until his death two years later.
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