Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has tasked Herbert Kickl, leader of the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), with forming a new government.
Following the collapse of coalition talks and the unexpected resignation of Chancellor Karl Nehammer over the weekend, Van der Bellen announced on Monday that he had instructed Kickl to initiate coalition negotiations with the ‘centre-right’ Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP).
If the negotiations succeed, the FPÖ will lead an Austrian government for the first time in the country’s history.
The resignation of Nehammer, who had resisted granting the FPÖ the mandate to form a government after its victory in the September general election, compelled the president to set aside his opposition to Kickl and his party.
President Van der Bellen stated, “The government must be solid; it must have a reliable majority. I may have some desires about the formation, but I have to respect the result of the vote.”
Under Austria’s multi-party system, the FPÖ requires a 50+1 per cent majority to form a government. This necessitates forming a coalition with at least one other party to secure a vote of confidence.
The FPÖ clinched victory in September’s election with 29 per cent of the vote, marking the start of what the party termed a “new era” for Austria. While the FPÖ has served as a junior partner in past coalitions, this marks the first time it has won a general election and potentially the chancellorship.
On Saturday, Nehammer resigned after the ÖVP failed to reach an agreement with the Social Democrats, and talks collapsed following the withdrawal of the liberal NEOS from negotiations. This opened the door for Kickl to receive the mandate to form a government.
During the election campaign, Nehammer ruled out a coalition with Kickl but left the door open to working with the FPÖ if Kickl were excluded from leadership discussions.
Christian Stocker, who became the interim leader of the ÖVP following Nehammer’s resignation, indicated that his party was willing to engage in talks, stating, “Our party is ready to participate if the FPÖ extends an invitation for coalition negotiations.”
Despite some shared views on asylum and immigration policy, significant disagreements remain between the two parties. Key differences include their stances on support for Ukraine and the European Union. While the ÖVP is pro-Ukraine and pro-EU, the FPÖ takes a sceptical approach to both issues.
