Autocratic bloc FPÖ victory continues far right's advance across Europe

It had been expected for months - the party had been leading the polls since 2022.

- Jon Henley

Nor was it exactly a crushing victory: far from an absolute majority, and just two points more than its previous highest score. It may not even end up in government.

But the first place finish in Austria's parliamentary elections by the far-right, anti-immigration, Russia-friendly Eurosceptic Freedom party (FPÖ) nonetheless marks another significant step in the radical right's march across Europe.

The FPÖ, founded by former Nazis, has been in power before, as the junior partner in short-lived coalition governments with the centre-right Austrian People's party (ÖVP) in 2000 and 2017, but it has never before finished first in a national election.

Its performance last Sunday, with a score of 29%, represents a remarkable comeback after it looked close to collapse barely five years ago, when a cash-for-influence scandal forced its then leader to resign and brought down the government.

It rounds off 12 months of elections in which illiberal parties have won the most seats in parliaments across Europe. This time last year, populist, autocratic, Brussels-baiting Robert Fico topped the ballot in Slovakia and formed a government soon after.