Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPO) faced on Sept 30 the task of clearing a path to power after its historic parliamentary election victory left the anti-establishment outfit needing a partner to form a governing coalition.
The triumph of the eurosceptic, Russia-friendly FPO on Sept 29 was another milestone in the recent rise of Europe's hard-right. But the party immediately suffered a stiff reality check.
Facing FPO party leader Herbert Kickl in a television studio after the results came in, leaders of the other parties in Parliament dismissed his overtures on forming a coalition.
The FPO finished around 2.5 percentage points ahead of Chancellor Karl Nehammer's conservative People's Party (OVP) to capture some 29 per cent of the vote - its best result ever - and Mr Kickl accused his rivals of opposing the will of the people.
"Tomorrow, there will be a blue Monday and then we will set about turning that 29 per cent into a political reality in this country," Mr Kickl told supporters on Sept 29 evening, playing on the fact that blue is the colour associated with his party.
This story is from the October 01, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the October 01, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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