Case 282 - The Politics of the New Right in Europe: Austria, E.U. Diplomacy, and Jörg Haider

Dupre, Andrew and Robert A. Denemark

This case study reviews the Austrian political and economic system from a global perspective, with particular emphasis on the rise of the controversial Jörg Haider and his far-right FPÖ party. The end of the Cold War and the rise of regional and globalizing tendencies created social tensions over issues like migration and economic competition, which Haider proved expert at exploiting. When he was invited to join the government, the fury this caused in European Union circles led to a bloc of bilateral sanctions against Austria designed to bring down the government, but it also spotlighted problems and vulnerabilities within the E.U. itself. The case ends as Haider is forced into political exile, but his appeal is still strong and his possible resurrection in future elections raises a number of questions for his party, for Austria, for the E.U., and for world politics.