Kickl everywhere!

Foreign reactions: “Is the Ösi-Orbán coming?”

The alarming shift to the right in Austria is being discussed in the international media.

(Bild: Imre Antal, zVg/Screenshot, Krone KREATIV)

Austria has voted - and the entire European press was watching with bated breath. As soon as the first projections were available, Herbert Kickl's confrontational smile appeared on the front pages of many international news sites.

The German magazine "Stern" asks: "Is the 'Ösi-Orban' coming now?" The British "Guardian" emphasizes: "Austria's election reveals the rise of the far right" and analyses how Kickl's populist rhetoric mobilized the electorate. France's "Le Monde" also warns of an ominous trend and calls for vigilance against nationalist politics.

The Italian "Corriere della Sera" describes the election as a potential "turning point" for the EU, while the German "Frankfurter Rundschau" speaks of an "alarm signal". The "Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger" reported: "The election result should be a warning above all to those in Germany who hope to contain the right-wing populists of the AfD here - for example through government participation. Because Austria has shown what was previously evident in this country and not least in the USA: scandals and misconduct do not harm populists."

Alice Weidel from the AfD was the first politician from abroad to speak out. She congratulated Kickl with a striking picture on X and declared that Kickl's success was a clear "signal for the whole of Europe", showing that citizens had had enough of the established parties.

This statement was widely echoed in the German media, which also reported with concern about the shift to the right. "Kickl could trigger a new wave of populism", warned "Bild", while "FAZ" pointed out that this trend cannot be viewed in isolation.

Matteo Salvini, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Lega, spoke of a "historic day in the name of change" and had words of praise for the FPÖ as a "historic ally of the Lega in Europe". He wanted to remind those "who speak of the 'extreme right'" that "in Vienna (as in almost all of Europe), extreme only means the desire for change", Salvini said in a press release.

Congratulations from Le Pen and Orbán
Great joy also in France - Marine Le Pen, leader of the right-wing populist Rassemblement National, also posted on X: "After the elections in Italy, the Netherlands and France, this upswing, which supports the defense of national interests, the preservation of identities and the revival of sovereignties, confirms the triumph of the people everywhere."

"Another win for the patriots," the Hungarian prime minister wrote on X on Sunday evening: "A historic victory for the FPÖ in Austria. Congratulations, Herbert Kickl."

Slovenian media doubt whether Kickl will actually lead the new government with his FPÖ: "Nehammer already gave a clear rejection before the election," reports Slovenian broadcaster RTV. The "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" also wrote: "His chances of becoming chancellor are nevertheless slim."