The glory years for his supporters began in October 1999, when his Freedom Party (FP) won 27% of the vote and a place in Austria's coalition government.

ECONOMIST: Commemorating a populist with shades of truth and memory

But the European Union's reaction to the prospect of the Freedom Party joining a ruling coalition has been hypocritical and wholly disproportionate to Austria's supposed offence in seeking to build a stable government backed by a majority of the voters.

ECONOMIST: Austria��s rancid choice

But Austria has not become notably harsher in its treatment of immigrants than it was before the Freedom Party joined the government.

ECONOMIST: Austria's general election