According to the Guardian (and I am sure plenty of other news sources), in the race for the office of President in Austria, the former Green Party leader, Van der Bellen just edged out far-right nationalist Hofer after the absentee ballots were counted. I am under the impression that the divide was largely a rural-urban divide, and that a sufficient number of urban dwellers were sufficiently spooked by the prospect of a leader of a presumably former neo-Nazi party becoming the face of their nation, and providing a platform for the Freedom Party to win big in 2018.
I honestly do not know Austrian politics especially well, but I get the impression that the two centrist parties have essentially collapsed, and that between the immigration crisis and long-term economic problems voters are looking for whoever can promise to save the day. I realize that right-wing nationalism is not just a problem in Austria, but is elsewhere in the EU as well, and of course here in the US (as the rise of Trump should indicate).
Not sure what the implications of this particular election are with some others on the horizon (from the Brexit referendum to upcoming elections in France and Germany next year, and our own in the US). While I am glad to see the people in Austria dodge a bullet this time, I am concerned over the near to medium term. No answers – at least from me. Hoping some of our European contributors are willing to chime in.
Tips, shots of espresso, etc. are all good.
Just a couple things to note. The was a run-off election. Would be as if there were a four-way US Presidential election: TeaParty, GOP, Dem, and Green. The TP and GRN came in first and second and then a run-off between the two were held. Of course, that can’t happen here.
Then this:
No Greens in Congress, and no cultivated, smooth-talking right-wing (racist, fascist) politicians in the US. Ours are more obviously hate-filled and loony and a majority of voters in various jurisdictions like that very much.
There are some important differences, as you duly note. There are some commonalities, though. The demonization of “Other” is now a part of mainstream political discourse, not only in Austria, but the rest of Europe and here in a sense that we have not experienced in a good long while. There is a nostalgic longing for some mythical past that is being tapped into by far right parties in Europe but also here by our own far right along with a promise to purify our national heritages. In many cases we’re seeing the long-crumbling center not only fail to hold but collapse entirely. In and of itself, that is not necessarily a negative, but does lead to the question of what rushes in to replace it. Regardless, the days of consensus politics are gone, and have been replaced by something considerably more polarized. The polarization is not only ideological but geographical – rural versus urban, for example. I live in a largely rural part of the US and it’s been disheartening to watch the locals increasingly give in to fear and hatred and support politicians who don’t give a fig about their dire economic straits and their communities that are dying slowly but steadily. Instead they’re distracted by “Muslims”, “Illegals”, and “Restrooms”. There’s a longing for some semblance for how things were once before. Nostalgia. I know I am rambling a bit, but those seem to be a few pertinent parallels. Politics these next few years will not be one of hope and dreams but rather one of fear and loathing. As the late Hunter S Thompson might say, “Big Darkness soon come.”
No you’re not rambling; it’s just that it’s not easy to describe and define what is going on and is seemingly independent of identifiable major actors. More existential for westerners than it has been in a very long time. Fear, loathing, dread. And when the nominees of both parties are selling nothing but fear, etc., that’s when we end up with near 50/50 election results.
It always was, not only in the USA but in Europe, Africa, and the Far East.
I hope the collapse of the center happens here too. I suspect it happened in Austria because the 1% took over the party apparatus like here.