What are international newspapers writing about Austria just before the National Council elections? Will the Freedom Party get a historic victory? Is their party leader Herbert Gigl a summit? Is the country running out of promising opportunities?
From a global perspective, Austria rarely attracts media attention outside our borders. Except for music, Habsburg mythology or skiing, he is overlooked. In normal years international reports on parliamentary elections probably rank somewhere between Albania and Uruguay. However, an exception proves the rule. Haydn and Hitler’s homeland receives worldwide attention as it is about to shift to the right. That was already the case with the Waldheim and Hyder campaigns. That time will come again in 2024. The FPÖ continues to be at the forefront of surveys, with its party leader Herbert Gieckl dominating reports on Austria abroad.
“The Australian” expects a “historic win”.
Why do our antibodies care about that? “The Australian” In the weekend edition, it adopted a text from the AFP agency and chose the headline: “Austria’s right-wing extremists have a historic victory in line with other right-wing extremist parties in Europe.” The widely distributed newspaper from Murdoch’s News Corporation has grown in popularity over the past few months.
What do they mean in America? The “New York Times” He wonders what is at stake in this National Council election. Veldblatt gives an immediate answer: the Freedom Party “may be in a position to form a right-wing extremist government in Austria, perhaps for the first time since World War II.”
How cautious is the media in Europe?
Doesn’t that sound a bit alarming? What do opinion makers in Europe think about this? Mostly sober, deliberate “Financial Times” This time it looks like this: “Austria’s far-right makes comeback, nods to Nazi past” is the headline of the story. The once-corrupt FPÖ could become a strong force in parliament. Terrorism is also a headline
“country”. The expected success of the “Ultraderecha” is simply explained: the FPÖ has brought its issues to voters who are dissatisfied with the government. “liberation” Cleverly portrays the gig as a Janusscope. His party’s “former gray eminence”, the “shadow man” is now the “new face of the far right” in Austria.
And how do neighboring countries assess the situation? “Austria is facing a double turning point,” says The “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” . The “black-green test” failed. On Sunday, the report card for the coalition will be disastrous, even if its actual record isn’t that bad: “The prospects for the future are running out.” Right-wing populists may become a strong force for the first time. “Furthermore, this quasi-natural government grand coalition of the Second Republic, which has been built and continues to shape itself in every corner, is no longer an option.”
“How Herbert Gieckl Wants to Change Austria”
He writes in great detail “Glass”. The liberal frontrunner even made it to the cover (at least in the Austrian version). Depicted as a mountaineer in blue gear, he climbs a pillar, probably at House, and extends his right arm. What after? For power! “Almost there” is the title. The FPÖ is “authoritarian and nationalist”. Cover Caption: “How Herbert Kickle Wants to Rebuild Austria”.
Four pages are dedicated to him inside the page: “The Summit”. There is talk of a “far-right” fighting against irregular migration, “gender madness” and “climate communism”. Kickl’s page-sized photo is captioned: “Computer Media Can’t Stop Us.”
“His greatest enemy”: Andreas Popler
A candidate in red gets half as many seats as blue in a Hamburg weekly. “His Greatest Enemy” is a title about Andreas Popler. The leader of the SPÖ is their “loudest voice against the far-right FPÖ”. The turquoise-green alliance appears only partially in the stories. It probably doesn’t have a terrible effect. Even small parties, whose eccentricity is something to be feared, may be too small for deep analysis.
Till Sunday evening, such big poster promises will be history for voters. APA / Roland Schlager
