First major appearance

How FPÖ leader Kickl started the “Super Saturday”

Herbert Kickl was ceremoniously received in Wels.

(Bild: Imre Antal)

The first part of the Freedom Party's "Super Saturday" has taken place in Wels, Upper Austria. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl showed himself to be familiar to the people at the folk festival, at times statesmanlike and, after the surprisingly quiet TV appearances, also attacking again. In the evening, he wants to shift up a gear and lay claim to the chancellorship in Graz.

Red-white-red flags and a bright blue sky. At the folk festival in Wels, the second largest city in Upper Austria, which has been governed by the liberal Andreas Rabl for almost ten years and is considered a liberal fortress, FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl had a home game, at least on Saturday.

The blue promises
In the best beer tent atmosphere, Upper Austria's blue party grandees, the mayor of Wels Andreas Rabl, state deputy Manfred Haimbuchner (Upper Austria) and federal list runner-up Susanne Fürst held hands. "Courage for change", said the previous speakers to the guests. In return, they promised "more net from the gross, a real liberating blow of politics for the people".

Warning against transvestites and war
However, there were also warnings about "transvestites in school classes", a "unified party that is not serious about neutrality" and a federal government that "wants to turn the FPÖ into a party of war". "But our sons will not be fighting on battlefields in the future either", Fürst felt he had to make clear.

Kickl during his speech

(Bild: Imre Antal)

Secretary General Michael Schnedlitz

(Bild: Imre Antal)

State Vice-President Manfred Haimbuchner

(Bild: Imre Antal)

Herbert Kickl in the audience

(Bild: Imre Antal)

"And it wasn't our children who came back from Vienna as Greens. They were the children of the ÖVP members", added Hermann Brückl, the first member of the blue list. Herbert Kickl was the right man at the right time. The FPÖ wants to abolish the climate bonus. First they took the money out of the pockets of Austrians, now they are handing out gifts of money that asylum seekers also receive.

Attacks against the ÖVP farmers' association
There were also attacks against the ÖVP. "The farmers' association is destroying agriculture," said Haimbuchner. Although the party forgave its culprits, it first had to settle accounts with the Farmers' Union.

Today there are more people in the tent than the Greens have voters. The Unity Party treated you worse than felons during the Corona madness. In Vienna you can hoard child porn and not get locked up. Now you can present them with the bill.

Michael Schnedlitz, Generalsekretär der FPÖ

Furthermore, it is not the fault of Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler for the European Green Deal, but rather the ÖVP, which has joined her in the coalition bed. General Secretary Michael Schnedlitz also criticized the Greens. He said that Lena Schilling's EU election campaign had shown what would happen if the Greens tried to raise a child. 

To thunderous applause and with an Austrian flag in his hand, the blue top candidate Herbert Kickl entered the marquee at around 10.30 am. His speech was peppered with political points, attempts at mobilization and clear statements. He railed against gender madness, coronavirus, asylum, defense and economic policy.

Kickl in the Wels marquee

(Bild: Imre Antal)

"Thank you for taking the time. Whether young or old. Whether male or female. That's all it takes. And time is like brains: you can't buy more. If you come away empty-handed with the initial equipment, you become a member of a black-red or black-green federal government," he explained.

Nothing and nobody could stop his Freedom Party. Not even the media, where - despite the beer tent - hops and malt are lost. "Some are lying through their teeth and others are printing the lies," said Kickl, who also criticized Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. "Even the Federal President is not above, but on the ground of the constitution," said the FPÖ leader.

People's festival and people's chancellor simply go well together. He greeted American media representatives with "Hello" and Germans with "Hallöchen". However, his speech was only a prelude to what is perhaps Kickl's biggest appearance to date. 

The party leader will officially start his election campaign on Saturday evening. Up to 5000 supporters are expected. It should be nothing less than the biggest Freedom Party get-together in the party's history. And not by chance in Graz.

Barely two months after the National Council elections, a new provincial parliament will be elected in Austria's second largest province (in terms of area). Like Kickl, the Styrian FPÖ leader Mario Kunasek is currently ahead in the polls ...