Austrian president tasks right-wing leader with forming government

The President of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, tasked the leader of the nationalist right, Herbert Kickl, of the FPÖ party, this Monday (6), with forming a new government after the failure of negotiations between conservatives, social democrats and liberals.

After an hour-long meeting with Kickl this morning, the Austrian head of state said he had asked him to negotiate with the popular ÖVP party about forming a coalition government.

“Mr Kickl has the confidence to find viable solutions within the framework of government negotiations, and wants to take on this responsibility, which is why I have tasked him with starting discussions with the ÖVP on the formation of a federal government,” said Van der Bellen .

“I did not take this step lightly and I will continue to ensure that the principles and norms of our Constitution are duly fulfilled and observed,” added the president, who in the past had demonstrated his opposition to a government led by Kickl.

This is the first time in Austria’s history that the FPÖ party, which won the elections on September 29 with around 29% of the vote, has been tasked with forming a government.

“The ÖVP has backed off its categorical rejection of cooperation with Kickl. This is the new situation,” said Van der Bellen, referring to the change of position announced this Sunday (5) by the new conservative leader, Christian Stocker.

The current federal chancellor and conservative leader, Karl Nehammer, announced his resignation on Saturday (4) after declaring that negotiations for a tripartite government between the ÖVP, the social democratic party SPÖ and the liberal Neos had failed.

Nehammer was against a coalition with the FPÖ under the command of Kickl, whom he accused of being a “danger to the country’s security” for having “xenophobic, pro-Russian and critical positions towards the European Union (EU)”. .

However, Stocker, until now the party’s general secretary, announced this Sunday that the ÖVP is now willing to negotiate with the FPÖ to form a coalition.

The FPÖ won the general election at the end of September with 28.8% of the vote, ahead of the ÖVP with 26.3%.

Faced with the apparent refusal of all political parties to cooperate with Kickl’s FPÖ, Van der Bellen entrusted the formation of a government to the ÖVP, which attempted to form a tripartite Executive with the SPÖ and Neos.

Kickl became Minister of the Interior (2017-2019) in a government led by former conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. In June 2021, amid the coronavirus pandemic, he assumed the presidency of the FPÖ.

The direct nationalist leader is a critic of Western support for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, neutral Austria’s cooperation with NATO, and the European Union.

One of Kickl’s main allies is the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, with whom he formed the Patriots for Europe group, the third largest group in the European Parliament. The FPÖ also has close ties with the Alternative for Germany (AfD).

While Kickl met with Van der Bellen this Monday, hundreds of people demonstrated in front of the headquarters of the federal presidency to express their rejection and discontent with the possibility of the FPÖ leader taking control of the next Executive.