Anti-democratic? – When the FPÖ was not the first, and governed anyway

FPÖ coup in Graz in 1973
The national-liberal politician Alexander Götz, who was an early member of the Freedom Party, achieved an even greater feat. In 1973, as chairman of the third-strongest parliamentary group in Graz City Council, he managed to persuade the second-strongest party there, the ÖVP, to make a deal that would send the SPÖ into opposition and elected him, Götz, as mayor. The FPÖ had won only 16.9% in the elections (SPÖ: 44.2%, ÖVP: 35.5%).