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00:00Let's take you from the Middle East away for a moment to Austria where a far-right party, founded by a former Nazi, celebrated its first-ever election win in Austria overnight.
00:10The Freedom Party leader, Herbert Kickl, campaigned heavily against illegal immigration. He claims to be trying to build what he calls Fortress Austria.
00:19But the party is short of the majority. Other parties, including the Conservatives, are forming a political fortress around him, trying to prevent him being the next Chancellor.
00:27However, some have said, without him as Chancellor, they wouldn't rule out working with the party. That's from the Conservatives.
00:33We're going to look at the dynamics at play in a moment. Let's first hear from the victorious leader.
00:39We've opened the door to a new era. We're going to write this chapter in Austrian history together.
00:47We've internalised the principle that the people come first and then the Chancellor.
00:53I had the feeling during the discussions with the others, I don't know, they were in a state of shock and acted as if this election hadn't happened.
01:01I'll give them another two or three days to think about it. Then, let's hope they come to their senses.
01:07It would be in their own interests, I would like to say that now.
01:13Okay, let's explore this a little further.
01:15Jack Rupnik is a historian, research director at the University of Science and Politics here in Paris.
01:20Science poet, it's known. Specialist as well on Central Europe. Great to have you on the programme tonight, Jack.
01:26First of all, aside from the fact we're talking about this party having roots to former Nazis, they've tried to detoxify.
01:35Perhaps similar to what we hear about with the national rally here in France. But what makes them right now considered far-right?
01:43Essentially, their stance on immigration. They really represent the hard right.
01:50Immigration is a big theme of debate in politics throughout Europe.
01:56But the Austrian party, which has just won the Austrian election, has taken a very hard line on that.
02:05Basically, it's, you know, love Austria or leave it. And we will stop immigration completely, etc, etc.
02:16So very, very hard line on immigration. That's one thing.
02:20And there is an undertone of Euroscepticism, which is relatively new, because in Austria, there used to be a consensus about Europe.
02:30But there is the idea that Europe allows this migration issue, the open borders, that it is unable to deal with migration.
02:39So this is what makes them special, not just a background.
02:44You mentioned the post-war, some of the former Nazis that created the parties.
02:49But that was way back in the in the 1950s.
02:52What I think Austrian Freedom Party, as it's called, it's hard.
02:59It's hard right. But it's called the Freedom Party.
03:02What is unique about them is that they were the first to start a coalition with a moderate right.
03:09And that was back in at the end of 1999, when Haider, their leader, made a coalition with the Christian Party, the FOP, the People's Party, Mr. Schussel.
03:22And Schussel, as prime minister, was then very harshly criticized throughout Europe.
03:31He was ostracized. And this was presented then as a very unique case that should be set apart the rest of Europe.
03:39Well, if you look at the European landscape today, you have other very similar parties winning elections and even running governments.
03:48I mean, you have the neighbouring Hungary.
03:52Well, it's a good point. And let's briefly pick it up there, because I just want your view.
03:56There are opposition activists, there are politicians saying they don't want Austria to go the way of Hungary and the way it deals with migration.
04:03Its views, the illiberal democracy, as Viktor Orban calls it.
04:07So where do you see this going? It's a difficult question to answer.
04:10But if the conservatives won't work with him as leader, is there a chance they will still work with the party?
04:17Well, that may well happen, because the leader of the People's Party said, I don't want to work with Kicill.
04:26There's no way I will make a coalition with him.
04:29But that, at least in theory, doesn't rule out the coalition with the party.
04:34And then it would simply mean Kicill has to stand back.
04:40In fact, he said in the quote you just started with, the people come first, then the chancellor.
04:51Well, he will not be the chancellor. He's the winner of the election.
04:54The people come first and his party won the election and he would make a coalition.
04:59So that could be one solution, not the most likely one.
05:03There is another option which the Austrians are also very familiar with, and that is the Grand Coalition.
05:10That is the People's Party, the center right, if you want, making a coalition with the Social Democrats.
05:17That was a dominant formula in Austrian politics for many years.
05:23Chancellor Kreisky, who was the leader of the Social Democrats, was called the Kaiser, etc.
05:29So it's not impossible that the two parties, both of them have been losing in this election,
05:35but they may get together if they have enough votes to form a coalition.
05:38Jack, a delight, as always, to talk to you. I hope to speak to you again soon.
05:42Jack Rupnik, often on the money, always on the ball at Science Po University
05:47and historian specialist on Eastern Europe. Stay with us here on France 34.
05:51We'll be back in just a moment.