Austria faces uncertainty after historic far-right election win

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00:00Some branding anti-Nazi banners, dozens of protesters gathered outside the Vienna Parliament

00:07building after Sunday's general election, which saw the far-right Freedom Party secure

00:11an unprecedented victory.

00:18That means social cuts for Austria, that means lower salaries, that means a catastrophe especially

00:24for migrants and for the women who are demonstrating in favour of abortion again.

00:29We started demonstrating 40 years ago and I can't do it anymore.

00:40It is definitely a shift to the right in Austria and throughout Europe and that we are losing

00:45our free country and our free life.

00:47We want to live a communal life, be united and live peacefully.

00:54Elsewhere in Austria, some have welcomed the FPO's win.

00:58I expected the FPO to come first one day but not today.

01:02Yes, it's definitely a good thing.

01:07Austria's Freedom Party has bounced back from the Ibiza Gate scandal in 2019 that saw the

01:12then Vice-Chancellor and Freedom Party leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, resign.

01:17Taking the reins of the party in 2021, Herbert Kickl has tapped into concerns about immigration

01:22in Austria and has capitalised on anger at the government's response to the Covid pandemic.

01:29His party is critical of Islam and it's pushing for tougher laws on asylum seekers.

01:35Kickl is also against giving aid to Ukraine.

01:38He wants sanctions against Russia to be lifted, arguing that they harm Austria more than Moscow.

01:44Only the conservative Austrian People's Party, the OVP, has offered any suggestion it could

01:49work with the FPO, but has insisted it is unwilling to do so with Kickl.

01:54If Kickl fails to ally with another party, this could end the FPO's aspirations to govern

01:59and enable a coalition of more moderate parties.

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