Far right makes large gains in Vienna vote

[pampango]

Source: Reuters

Austria's resurgent far-right party was poised to win over a quarter of the vote in Vienna's provincial election on Sunday, a partial count indicated, as voters took worries about immigration and security to the ballot box. The elections in "Red Vienna," a traditional stronghold of the centre-left Social Democrats, reflect a wider European trend as voters concerned about the economic crisis and integration of Muslims turn to rightist parties.

Vienna's Social Democrats under Michael Haeupl, mayor since 1994, were projected to come first with 44.2 percent, losing their absolute majority. Heinz-Christian Strache's far-right Freedom Party was set to win 27 percent, according to a projection based on over three-quarters of the vote, up from 15 percent in 2005.

All the other main parties lost ground in Vienna, Austria's capital and financial hub with just over a million eligible voters. The results suggest Freedom is returning to its strength of the late 1990s. Analysts say that if the centrist parties keep losing support, they might start catering more to far-right concerns on social policy, mulling for example a ban on Islamic face veils in public and stricter limits on immigration. They might also consider teaming up with Freedom at a national level when Austria votes again in 2013.

The far right has been a significant part of Austria's political landscape for years. Under Joerg Haider, killed in a car crash in 2008, it gained mainstream appeal by tapping into xenophobia, anti-EU sentiment and fears of globalisation.




Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6991NQ20101010

[alp227]

1. Every time I read these types of stories (already happened in Sweden and other Eur countries)

I always wonder what it implies for America. For a long time liberals have been using Europe as a model for how America should reform its health care and other policies. And now it seems that Europe is growing tired of liberalism? And why oh why are the voters so afraid of "integration of Muslims"? Echoing America during the 1960s when Americans were afraid of integration of blacks??

[Quantess]

2. It seems to be about the muslims, mostly.

A clash of cultures.

[Johnyawl]

3. The voters aren't afraid of "integration of Muslims"...

...the voters are afraid that the Muslims aren't integrating.

[David__77]

4. This isn't about social services.

Europeans do not generally want to dismantle social protections. The problem is "liberalism" is trying to do so! The so-called "right-wing" in Europe is more committed to the general welfare than the so-called socialists who have degenerated into warmongers and free traders. The problem is that the left has collapsed. Communist parties used to keep the left honest, but they have mostly degenerated as well, except in Portugal, Greece, and the Czech republic - precisely countries with a "better" left.

[tabasco]

8. Link?

Doesn't jive with what I know about Germany.

[pampango]

5. the anti-immigration Freedom Party won 27 percent and 28 seats in the regional parliament-up from 13

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jGjgbrj4q9TQG_Dnh4oKjEtakO0wD9IP36481?docId=D9IP36481

With only absentee ballots left to be counted, the anti-immigration Freedom Party won 27 percent and 28 seats in the regional parliament — up from 13. That's a significant boost from the 14.8 percent they garnered during 2005 elections, and near their record high of 27.9 percent, achieved in 1996, when the late Joerg Haider was at the party's helm.

Over the past few months, the Freedom Party tried to shore up support with campaign posters that mentioned "Vienna blood" — originally a waltz by Johann Strauss — which critics claimed had clear racist undertones in this political context. The party also circulated a controversial comic strip that features a character resembling Strache who urges a young boy to use his sling shot to hit Mustafa, who led the historic Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683.

In the end, the Freedom Party connected best with predominantly male and less educated voters aged 20 to 29 or above 60, according to the Vienna-based Institute for Social Research and Analysis.

Slightly more than 1.1 million Austrian voters were eligible to participate in the Vienna election, with roughly another 108,000 non-Austrian EU citizens who are registered in the city allowed to cast ballots to pick the leadership of the capital's 23 districts. Preliminary voter turnout was about 56.5 percent.

[COLGATE4]

6. Shades of 1938??? nt

[KamaAina]

7. "The far right has been a significant part of Austria's political landscape for years."

Typical British understatement, that. :scared: