Far-right wins close Austria election, a boost for Putin

one Far-right party founded by ex-Nazi appears to win Austrian election The outcome on Sunday could reshape Europe's political landscape and help flip the balance of power between Russia and the West.

ORF Public Television Projection Exit polls showed the pro-Russian, anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPÖ) in first place with 29.1% of the vote % 's vote.

They appear to have beaten the ruling conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) into second place. 26.2% of the vote. The Austrian Social Democratic Party ranked third with 20.4%.

this FPOEThe victory is the latest sign of a breakthrough on the continent for a movement characterized by anti-immigration and anti-Islam sentiment.

It represents a stunning reversal of fortunes for the party, which quit government in 2019 amid a corruption scandal. But it falls far short of an absolute majority in a close election and needs help forming a stable government.

Building a coalition could be difficult, however, as all other major groups have ruled out working with it. FPOE.

As in other elections across Europe this summer, political extremes outperformed moderates, and Austria may face a period of political uncertainty as parties vie for power.

But even if the party fails to form a coalition government, the result will be a symbolic victory for the far right.

The Freedom Party is led by Herbert Kickl, 55, known by his party as the “Volkskanzler” or “People's Chancellor”, a term most associated with the Nazis, who used it to describe Adolf Hitler. In fact, the FPÖ was founded in the 1950s by former members of Hitler's paramilitary organization, the SS, although Kickel and his supporters reject modern comparisons.

Like other far-right leaders, he has taken advantage of high inflation and Europe's migrant crisisHundreds of thousands of people are fleeing war, poverty and natural disasters in the Middle East, North Africa and elsewhere.

Kickel proposed an overhaul of Austria's immigration system, including the introduction of “re-immigration” of “undesirable strangers” – deporting immigrants back to their country of origin.

The party still has Close ties with Russian President Putin ——A long-standing enemy of the European Union. The Free Democratic Alliance not only calls on Europe to end its support for Ukraine, but also advocates an end to sanctions imposed on Russia due to the Russian war.

The party's ideas and policies are not unfamiliar to millions of people in Austria, and in recent years it has come close to being at the helm of Austrian politics. Between 2017 and 2019, the Freedom Party and the ÖVP were junior partners in the coalition government, but the relationship collapsed due to scandal and conflict.

But while the Liberals have always been a subordinate in the coalition, they now have the upper hand and can attract others to help them form government.

The OVP has been the only party willing to form alliances with far-right parties in the past, and it remains to be seen whether they will accept an assistant role this time. Prime Minister and ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer has so far ruled out the possibility of any coalition including Kicker.

But with Kickel now in charge of Austria's largest party, the country joins a number of countries in Europe where the far-right now wields considerable power, following gains this summer in Germany, France and the Netherlands.

For centuries, Austria has enjoyed great influence as a crossroads at the heart of Europe. its neutral status, Not formally aligned with either NATO or Russiameaning it has long been an arena for politicians, diplomats and spies to try to tip the geopolitical balance.

But that role is now at risk, with Adolf Hitler's birthplace considering a potential new government that would be anything but neutral.

— NBC News' Alexander Smith and Carlo Angerer contributed to this report.