“Kickl here, Kickl there, Kickl everywhere.” When I heard this back in February, I dismissed it as a catchy slogan destined to fade. Yet, as the months unfolded, his words transformed into an unsettling prophecy. Herbert Kickl is the leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), the far-right party that has not won an election since it was founded in 1956. That was, until September 29th, 2024, when the FPÖ made history by winning the Austrian election, marking the first time a far-right party has won in the country since WWII. The previous time, of course, was the Nazi Party.
The Austrian Freedom Party was, quite literally, founded by Nazis. The FPO was established in 1956 by Anton Reinthaller, a former Austrian Nazi who had served as both a lieutenant general in the SS, the paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party, and a member of the Nazi parliament until the conclusion of World War II. Following his post-war prison sentence, Reinthaller, along with other former Nazi figures, established the FPO and served as its chairman until he died in 1958. During the Cold War, the party struggled to gain traction, hindered by the enduring memories of World War II, newly uncovered Holocaust revelations, and the lasting impact of this devastating genocide. That is, until winning the election just a few months ago.
These Nazi roots can still be seen in their leadership and practices today. Kickl goes by the “People’s Chancellor,” which should sound familiar because that is what Hitler referred to himself as during the 1930s. A bit before the election, a high-ranking FPÖ officer died. The funeral was full of other FPÖ officers, where they all joined in singing a well-known SS anthem, a potent reminder of their affinity for the Third Reich aesthetic.
There are a few critical aspects of this party's policies that you should be aware of—they might sound strikingly familiar to those of its founding party. They ran on a platform of “Fortress Austria,” pushing for incredibly extreme deportation measures. They support “remigration,” which is the deportation of native-born citizens, as well as preventing asylum seekers from entering the country. This would specifically target Middle Eastern and Muslim peoples, along with a law to ban “political Islam.”
The party also champions a pro-Russian stance, aligning itself with Putin’s interests and dismissing the growing tensions between Russia and the European Union. It is very anti-Ukraine and hopes to block all aid to the country. The FPÖ has also embraced an anti-vaccine ideology, tapping into populist discontent and further alienating itself from the mainstream political discourse.
While it is still unclear exactly what role the FPÖ will play, one thing is sure. There is a growing wave of right-wing extremism that is beginning to shape not only Austria's political future, but also the broader European and global landscape. The rise of the FPÖ signals a shift toward more radical, nationalist politics, gaining momentum across Europe. The FPÖ in Austria, alongside Viktor Orban's government in Hungary and the far-right leadership in Slovakia, forms an ethnonationalist, pro-Russia bloc reshaping Central Europe's political landscape. This alliance unites countries that are increasingly embracing exclusionary nationalism and aligning themselves with Moscow’s interests, challenging the European Union’s democratic values and cohesion. Together, they represent a rising tide of authoritarianism that seeks to redefine not only their nations' identities but also the future of European unity and global geopolitics.
Until November 5th, I held an idealized vision of America’s future—shaped by an experienced female president and a steady resistance to the alarming shift of politics to the far right. However, as I stayed up and watched the electoral votes come in, I realized that this extremism was not just a European problem. United States politics is increasingly shifting right, and this election has proven that.
In a post-election discussion with other party leaders on Austrian television, Kickl warned: “I would caution against ignoring the will of millions of people.” He is right. We should not ignore it. We cannot ignore that Kickl, or those like him, are increasingly everywhere. Right-wing extremism is gaining more and more power across Western nations.
The normalization of extremist ideologies in mainstream politics poses a grave threat to the democratic values we hold dear. This isn't just Europe's dilemma; it's a global issue that demands our immediate attention. The parallels between the FPÖ's ascent and the shifting political landscape in the United States are too significant to ignore. If we remain complacent, we risk allowing history to repeat itself in the most unsettling ways. It's imperative that we recognize these warning signs and take collective action to uphold the principles of democracy, equality, and human rights. After all, the cost of inaction could be a future where extremism is not just present but prevalent—everywhere.
