In terms of convergence on socio-cultural issues, we see a different pattern. Figure 35 shows that the ÖVP maintained a moderate orientation at least until 2006, remaining rather close to the SPÖ. The conservatives moved to the sociocultural right after losing their majority in the 2006 elections, while contending with an FPÖ that had moved sharply to the right. However, after 2008, both the SPÖ and the ÖVP were more concerned with the financial crisis and its aftermath, rather than sociocultural issues. Following the refugee crisis in 2015 and 2016, and especially after Kurz took the reins of the party, we see the ÖVP veer sharply to the socio-cultural right again. Under Kurz, the party began focusing more on“political” Islam, extremism and the question of the cultural integration of immigrants into Austrian society. 103 In 2019, it was hardly distinguishable from the FPÖ on this dimension of conflict. Figure 35. Sociocultural left-right positions of the main Austrian parties over time(1986-2019). SPÖ-ÖVP ÖVP-FPÖ ÖVP-BZÖ SPÖ-ÖVP ÖVP Greens ÖVP-FPÖ Experts 1 Right 5 0 -5 Left -1 198 1 6 99 1 0 99 14 99 1 5 99 2 9 00 2 2 00 2 6 00 2 8 013 ÖVP SPÖ FPÖ GREENS 201 27 019 NEOS Source: Heinisch and Werner(2021) with an update for 2019. The figure uses data of the MARPOR project; the calculation of the left-right position is based on Franzmann(2009). A closer look at ÖVP election programs between 2013 and 2017 reveals that, in areas such as immigration, EU policy, economic sovereignty and security policy, claims positioned on the right increased in both scope and scale, meaning that they resembled nationalist and far-right positions previously associated with the FPÖ. 104 The ÖVP manifesto, Der Neue Weg, 105 emphasised teaching“Austrian values” to immigrants, rejected voting rights for qualified foreigners(in local elections), warned against foreign(especially Turkish) influence on Austrian civil society, advocated for border controls, vowed to protect cash transactions(from alleged EU plans to the contrary) and so on. The transformation of the mainstream right and its impact on(social) democracy 69