AfD cheers: Kickl speaks of patriotic turn in Germany!

AfD cheers: Kickl speaks of patriotic turn in Germany!

The surprising election success of the AfD not only excited Germany, but also ensured great joy in Austria. In the Bundestag election, the AfD sensationally reached second place and thus doubled its share of votes compared to the last election. FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl warmly congratulated the AfD top candidate Alice Weidel on this "great election success" and commented that this marked a "patriotic turn". Kickl explains that a huge hole in the "fire wall of the unit parties" in the political landscape speaks for a refreshing "wind of freedom of 1989", as the Krone reported.

reactions from Austria

The reactions of domestic political actors are diverse. SPÖ boss Andreas Babler criticized the AfD result as a "fire-threatening development" that triggered the international concern. He warned that such currents could stir up fears and undermine democracy. Surprisingly, however, he remained silent regarding the defeat of his sister party SPD. In contrast, Christian Stocker, the designated Chancellor of the ÖVP, expressed optimistic about the success of the CDU/CSU and saw the wish of people in Germany and Europe for bourgeois-conservative politics. ÖVP boss Stocker emphasizes that this election victory is a success of the "democratic center", while Greens boss Werner Kogler praised his party's resilience despite the challenges, as Oe24 reported.

As a further sign of polarization, various parties rated the election result. The KPÖ congratulated the left on an "impressive election success", which, thanks to clear social positions and a waiver of salary from politicians, appeals to many voters. The behavior of the AfD at the election party, where the speech by Chancellor Olaf Scholz was ignored, also shows the tensions and opposites in the political landscape, which could further tighten due to this election result.