Gavin Grey: UK & Europe correspondent on Austria's general election and UK public inquiry into Salisbury poisonings

Austria’s general election could see the far-right opposition Freedom Party (FPÖ) top the polls for the first time as voters head out to cast their ballot.

The party’s leader describes himself as Volkskanzler (people's chancellor), which was used to describe Adolf Hitler in the 1930s.

UK & Europe correspondent Gavin Grey tells Ryan Bridge the party has promised to build a fortress to restore security, prosperity and peace.

And, a former Russian spy and his daughter, who were victims of the Salisbury poisonings, will not be called to give evidence at a UK public inquiry out of fears for their safety.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now the far right's doing well in Austria. Gevin Grays
at UK you're a correspondent, Gavin, good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Good morning to you. Yes it is now. According to
projections based on initial results, the far right Freedom Party
is heading for an unprecedented general election victory. Its estimate
did'll have over twenty nine percent of the vote. That's
three points ahead of the Conservative People's Party. But it's
short of a majority, and that is the sticking point right,

(00:28):
because most of the other parties, all but once say
they will not go into coalition with them. However, having
said that, the Freedom Party, if it is the biggest party,
will be entitled to try and lead a coalition government.
So all sorts of things going on here. Why is
it so controversial for the six point three million Austrians
eligible to vote well because of overtones going back to

(00:53):
the Nazis and the World War. The Freedom Party's leader
has promised to Austrians to build fortress Austria. Who's restore security,
prosperity and peace. He's called himself the People's Chancellor, and
believe it or not, that was what Adolph Hitler described
himself as in Nazi Germany. So all sorts of overtones here.
We expect their full results later.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
It's interesting, isn't it, Because you have these far right parties,
not just an Austria, but all over you're popping up
and then you have other parties sung on we won't
work with them.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yeah, that's right. So in the Netherlands, Gertz Wilder's Freedom
Party one, but he dropped his bid to become prime
minister so that other parties would agree to form a
coalition with him. However, in Italy Georgia, Maloney had a
right wing coalition as leader of the far right party.
So there are some around but yeah, big pressure to
actually take note to the voters.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
Yeah, absolutely, Gevin, thank you very much for that. That's
Kevin Gray, who's our UK europe correspondent with US Live
this morning.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
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Speaker 1 (01:54):
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