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Survey: 40 percent of Austrians voted FPÖ at least once

Seven out of ten Austrian voters believe that the government does not have the country’s problems under control - but the majority would still not want to see the right-wing Freedom Party as part of the governing coalition, according to a new survey.

Published: 31 October 2016 10:15 CET
Survey: 40 percent of Austrians voted FPÖ at least once
Campaign poster for Norbert Hofer. Photo: Paul Gillingwater

Of those who took part in the survey, carried out for the Standard newspaper, 52 percent don’t agree that the FPÖ is “a normal political party” – and only 37 percent think it is.

Like populist parties elsewhere in Europe, the FPÖ has increased its support after stoking public fears about record immigration and rising unemployment.

Norbert Hofer, often described as the far-right's “friendly face”, hopes to become the European Union's first far-right head of state in the December 4th re-run of Austria’s presidential election.

The survey also asked participants if they had ever voted for the Freedom Party in local, state or national elections. 22 percent said that they had voted for the FPÖ several times, and 18 percent said they had voted at least once for the FPÖ. Loyal Social Democrat voters were less likely to switch to supporting the Freedom Party than any other voters.

People who had been educated at university level were least likely to have voted for the FPÖ.

Those who said they had voted for the FPÖ were the most dissatisfied with the current government, a coalition of the Social Democrats and the conservative People’s Party. 79 percent of people who voted FPÖ said they believed the government did not have the country’s problems under control.

However, only 31 percent of those surveyed felt that the FPÖ has a clear plan on how to govern Austria. Younger interviewees tended to have more trust in the Freedom Party than those aged over 50.

32 percent of people believed that the Freedom Party should be part of the next governing coalition – most of them middle-aged and with a lower level of education. 53 percent of those surveyed said they were against the FPÖ being part of the government.

64 percent – including FPÖ supporters – said they believed that Austrian society would be split if the Freedom Party were to be included in the federal government.

Only 21 percent believed things in Austria would improve if the FPÖ was part of the federal government.

 
 
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MIGRANT CRISIS

How a change in the profile of asylum seekers is impacting Austria

The number of asylum applications has dropped in Austria, but changes in the profile of those arriving are creating new demands and new policies.

Published: 22 April 2024 16:05 CEST
How a change in the profile of asylum seekers is impacting Austria

Asylum policy is a controversial topic in Austria, especially in an election year. The far-right has been pushing its anti-immigration agenda to gather support ahead of federal elections later this year.

While the sheer number of refugees can shape an election, differences in who those refugees are and where they come from also create challenges and demands for government action.

The profile of those seeking asylum in Austria has changed compared to recent years.

In the first quarter of 2024, almost a third of asylum applications came from children between the ages of zero and seven, as Austrian media has reported.

Around 53 percent of applicants are minors, and the proportion of women seeking asylum has also risen significantly. However, the overall number of asylum applications during the period fell by 32 percent compared to the same period the year before. 

Whereas 2023 most asylum applications in Austria were from males (only around 24 percent of applications were submitted by women), the country is now experiencing the “family reunification” phenomenon. In other words the wifes and children are following to seek protection.

Asylum applicants are still mostly from Syria and Afghanistan – two nationalities with a high chance of obtaining protection in Austria. Only 30 percent of applications from Syrians were rejected, whereas for Afghans 39 percent were refused.

READ ALSO: Border centres and ‘safe’ states: The EU’s major asylum changes explained

What does the change in profile mean for Austria?

One immediate consequence of the influx of children has already been seen in Vienna, the destination of most refugees: the school system is overwhelmed with the new arrivals, as several Austrian newspapers have reported in the last few weeks.

“This is putting such a strain on the system that high-quality teaching is hardly possible any more,” Thomas Krebs, a union representative, told Kurier. According to the report, around 300 children will arrive in Vienna every month, resulting in a need for 140 classes by the end of the school year. 

The Austrian capital was already overwhelmed by a shortage of teachers and an overflow of schoolchildren—particularly since the war in Ukraine, when 4,000 children were integrated into Vienna’s schools from February 2022.

The kids coming from Syria also need more support than merely German classes: “The Syrian children who come to us from refugee camps are a particular challenge for the system. Many are traumatised and often not even literate in their own language,” Krebs said.

He added that children need to spend more time in kindergarten—to learn “the basics, not just the language.” The education expert also believes it’s necessary to invest more in extracurricular activities, where young people can learn German, acquire behavioural skills that are important for school, and learn how to spend their free time meaningfully.

READ ALSO: What’s the reason behind the drop in Austrian asylum seeker claims?

What is Vienna doing?

Vienna’s Department of Education points out that new teachers are being recruited. In the current academic year, 2,400 teachers have been hired, Kurier reported.

Director of Education Heinrich Himmer said: “We support pupils and face the challenges together so that learning and living together work well. I would like to thank everyone who works so hard in Vienna’s schools. However, the responsibility for integration is an all-Austrian one, where solutions exist at the federal level.”

How does family reunification work?

There is a special process for granting family reunification rights for family members of refugees in Austria. 

According to information from the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum, if a foreigner has been granted asylum status in Austria, family members can apply for an entry permit at an Austrian representation authority abroad within three months of this status being granted.

If this is granted, they can travel to Austria to apply for asylum in the family procedure and receive the same protection status as the reference person. If the application is only submitted after three months, they must also provide proof of adequate accommodation, health insurance, and income.

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