Congratulations from the right

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 watched 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-Orbán' 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."

Weidel: "Signal for the whole of Europe"
Alice Weidel from the AfD was the first politician from abroad to speak. She congratulated Kickl with a striking picture on X and explained 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."

Wilders: "Times are changing!"
"Congratulations FPÖ!", Geert Wilders from the nationalist Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands also wrote on X. "We are winning! The times are changing! Identity, sovereignty, freedom and no more illegal immigration/no more asylum - this is what tens of millions of Europeans are longing for!" 

Czech ex-prime minister Andrej Babiš, the leader of the once liberal ANO movement, also congratulated Kickl and the FPÖ on X. "Viktor Orbán was right to point out that the patriots for Europe are getting stronger every day."

Congratulations also from Belgium and Denmark
EU parliamentarian Gerof Annemans from the right-wing Vlaams Belang in Belgium also welcomed the FPÖ's election victory. This was an "inspiring boost" for the "Patriots" group in the EU Parliament "and our ideas". MEP Anders Vistisen from the Danish People's Party (DF) congratulated the FPÖ on X and declared: "The European right is booming!" He added: "The question now is whether the other parties will respect the clear decision of the Austrian people - or whether we will see another election in which the biggest winner is excluded from influence!"

The leader of the right-wing populist Rassemblement National party in France and leader of the right-wing "Patriots" group in the EU Parliament, Jordan Bardella, wrote on X: "The government they will form will prioritize the sovereignty, prosperity and identity of their country: We are proud to sit in the European Parliament together with our allies in the FPÖ, who are clearly ahead in tonight's parliamentary elections in Austria!" Bardella also posted a photo of himself and 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."