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Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has tasked the far right Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Herbert Kickl with leading the formation of a new government.
After the collapse of coalition talks and Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s surprise resignation over the weekend, Van Der Bellen on Monday said he had “instructed” Kickl to begin coalition talks with the centre-right People’s Party (ÖVP).
Should the talks be successful, the FPÖ would lead an Austrian government for the first time.
Having declined to ask the FPÖ to lead a government immediately following their win in September’s general election, Nehammer’s resignation on Saturday forced the president to put aside his opposition to Kickl and his party.
“The government must be robust; it must have a reliable majority. I may have certain desires about the composition, but I must honour the outcome of the vote,” the President Van der Bellen said.
In Austria’s multi-party system, the FPÖ needs a 50%+1 majority to govern, meaning it must forge a coalition with at least one other party to secure the vote.
The FPÖ clinched electoral victory in September with 29% of the vote, proclaiming the dawn of a “new era” for the country. Although the party has been part of several coalitions as a junior partner, it had previously never topped a general election and has never held the chancellorship.
On Saturday night, Nehammer (ÖVP) resigned after his People’s Party failed to strike a deal with the Social Democrats and negotiations collapsed when the liberal NEOS walked away, clearing the way for Kickl to be tasked with forming a government.
During the election campaign, Nehammer ruled out a coalition with Kickl but did not completely dismiss the possibility of collaborating with the FPÖ as a party, as long as the FPÖ leader was excluded from any potential partnership.
In a shift of tone, Christian Stocker, the interim leader of the Austrian People’s Party following Nehammer’s resignation, has signaled openness to talks, stating that if the FPÖ extends an invitation for coalition negotiations, the People’s Party would be willing to participate.
Although the two parties share similar views on asylum and migration, significant sticking points remain that they would need to resolve if they were to join forces.
Key differences include their stance on support for Ukraine – with the FPÖ opposing sanctions against aggressor Russia – and their views on the European Union, where the ÖVP leans strongly pro-European.
[Edited by Owen Morgan]
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