CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Bischof, Caroline |
|---|---|
| Title | Herbert Kickl between Radicalism and Extremism: The FPOEs Democratic Backsliding in Austria |
| Summary | This thesis examines the ideological evolution of Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ) under three successive leaders Jörg Haider, Heinz-Christian Strache, and Herbert Kickl with particular focus on whether Kickl’s tenure has steered the party from radical right-wing populism into the realm of right-wing extremism. Drawing on Cas Mudde’s (2007; 2019) distinction between radicalism and extremism and Michael Minkenberg’s (2017) criteria for discursive and operational engagement, the study maps the FPÖ’s transformation from a more moderate and populist party towards one engaging in increasingly extremist themes. Employing qualitative discourse analysis of party programmes, public speeches, and media appearances, the thesis evaluates programmatic shifts and rhetorical strategies under Kickl to determine whether the FPÖ presently fulfils the criteria for right-wing extremist politics. The findings reveal a hybrid position: the FPÖ under Kickl operates democratically, through elections, drafting legislation, and respecting procedural rules, while its radical rhetoric and extremist alliances steadily erode liberal norms and deepen polarization. The thesis then situates the FPÖ’s current position within the constellation approach by Blee, Futrell & Simi (2024) and norm-entrepreneurship theory by Valentim (2024), which explain how extremist content persists through stable networks of symbols and how fringe proposals are introduced to expand the Overton Window. Comparative insights contextualize the success of the FPÖ within broader European patterns of far-right resurgence. Overall, the FPÖ’s trajectory exemplifies how mainstream parties can weaponize crisis-driven boundary politics to mainstream extremist ideas without abandoning their democratic façade, posing a significant challenge to institutional legitimacy, social cohesion, and the rule of law in Austria and beyond. Therefore, suggestions for safeguarding Austrian democracy will be made in the end. |
| Supervisor | Andras Bozoki |
| Department | Undergraduate Studies BA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/bischof_caroline.pdf |
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