Politics

Austria Poised to Elect Rightist as Europe Braces for More Political Earthquakes

The U.S. election victory of Donald Trump was warmly welcomed by far-right politicians across the globe — nowhere more so than in Europe, where a series of upcoming polls could deliver big shocks to established political parties.

First up is Austria on December 4, where Norbert Hofer is hoping to ride a global wave of insurgent populism to win the Austrian presidency and become the first far-right head of state in Europe since World War II.

Speaking this month, he borrowed a key theme from Trump's campaign, saying that that whenever the elites distance themselves from voters, those elites will be voted out of office.

Connecting globally

Hofer's far-right Freedom Party has warned of a civil war over migration. His extreme rhetoric is winning votes; polls give him a slim lead over his rival, the Green Party's Alexander Van der Bellen. European historian Andrea Mammone of Royal Holloway, University of London, said the far right is connecting globally...