Austrian parties hold final rallies ahead of Sunday’s election

The majority of Austria’s political parties have held their final campaign rallies ahead of parliamentary elections on Sunday.

Polls show the far-right Freedom Part of Austria (Freiheitliche Partei Österreich) in the lead, predicted to take more than 28% in what could be their first ever election victory.

Speaking at a rally in central Vienna, party leader Herbert Kickl demanded a large scale “remigration” of illegal immigrants.

“It is not acceptable that we have to protect our people from the people, who are coming here looking for protection. Then something isn’t right with the system anymore. And that’s why we finally need remigration. I don’t even know why this word is supposed to be so evil,” Kickl said to cheering supporters.

He has promoted an “Austria first” strategy in his politics saying his aim wasn’t to “save the entire world”.

Kickl, a former interior minister and longtime campaign strategist who has led the Freedom Party since 2021, has his sights set on the Chancellor’s seat, but if his party fails to secure an outright majority, finding coalition partners could be tricky.

Polling second at around 24% is the liberal conservative Austrian People’s Party (Österreichische Volkspartei) led by incumbent Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

At his campaign rally on Friday, he delivered a warning to voters concerned by the prospect of a victory by the Freedom Party.

“Every vote, for example for a small party, harbours the risk that Herbert Kickl will become chancellor,” he said.

“This means that anyone who wants to prevent this has one option, namely to vote for Karl Nehammer.”

Nehammer has ruled out entering into a coalition with Kickl, who drew criticism after using the term ‘Volkskanzler’, or chancellor of the people, which was used by the Nazis to describe Adolf Hitler.

“I have made it clear with whom it is not possible to form a responsible, viable government. The current leader of the FPÖ (Freedom Party of Austria) does not fulfil these criteria. That’s why I excluded him,” he said.

The Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs), headed by Andreas Babler, are polling in third place, expected to take around 20% of the vote. Their final campaign rallies ahead of Sunday’s vote are expected to take place on Saturday.

Rounding out the top five are NEOS, the Greens and the BIER Party.

NEOS was formed a decade ago following a merger with the Liberal Forum and has campaigned on promises to recruit 20,000 new teachers, reduce tax burdens on citizens and increase political transparency.

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Party leader Beate Meinl-Resinger said people of all ages were enthusiastic about what her party was offering.

“I want us to look ahead, look to the future and create optimism and confidence in Austria again, to say that things will get better and that there is a future that is better than today,” she said.

Tied almost neck and neck in the polls with NEOS are the Greens (Die Grünen) led by Werner Kogler who also serves as Austria’s Vice Chancellor.

At his party’s campaign rally on Friday, he praised the achievements of the Green team as the junior party in the ruling coalition.

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“When has there ever been such a strong government team from a parliamentary group in this republic? But now, of course, it’s about the future,” he told supporters in Vienna.