The Austrian Freedom Party, or Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ), is located on the extreme right wing of the Austrian political spectrum. Founded in 1955, the FPÖ was originally a party with both liberal and nationalistic wings. The nationalistic wing of the party came to dominate when Jörg Haider became leader in 1986. Since then the party has become known for its anti-immigration and anti-asylum policies, and for Haider’s controversial remarks on Nazi Germany.
Under Haider’s leadership the party made significant electoral gains. In the March 1989 provincial elections in Carinthia, FPÖ gained the status of second largest party and Haider was elected as governor. He was the first governor not to come from the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) or the Social Democratic Party of Austria. Haider was defeated in a vote of confidence in 1991, but was re-elected in 1999.
The FPÖ made significant gains in the 2000 general elections, winning 27% of the vote in the Nationalrat, and the party entered into a national coalition with the ÖVP under the leadership of ÖVP Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel. The coalition eventually collapsed because Haider led a revolt in the party against FPÖ ministers, forcing them to resign. Wolfgang Schüssel called new elections in November 2002 instead of negotiating new appointments, and promised to retain the most popular FPÖ ministers, such as finance minister Karl-Heinz Grasser, if the ÖVP were re-elected. In the 2002 election the FPÖ lost 10% of the vote but still won 18 seats in the 183-seat Nationalrat. After brief negotiations the FPÖ entered into a second coalition with the ÖVP.
