For anyone following and analyzing Austrian politics during the 1990s, there was no escaping the steady rise of Jorg Haider. Though he never quite managed to achieve his dream of becoming Austrian chancellor, Haider’s momentum in the 1990s seemed unstoppable at times. The speed with which his vicious targeting of minorities drew support from working-class and lower-middle-class voters that had previously been loyal to the SPO and OVP upended Austrian politics, presaging an electoral realignment that then unfolded across the rest of Europe. However, this background gave Haider credibility among far-right milieus that remained a looming presence in Austrian society. And his underlying charisma enabled him to broaden his appeal to social groups that had until then maintained their distance from extremist politics.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 22, 2023 07:52 UTC