Austrian conservatives said on Sunday they were ready to begin negotiations with the far right to form a new government, a political about-face after the failure of coalition talks with the liberals and social democrats. The Alpine EU member country plunged into political uncertainty on Saturday when conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer ended talks aimed at forming a centrist government excluding the far right, which had come out on top in parliamentary elections late september.
In the process, Karl Nehammer announced that he would resign in the coming days from his post as chancellor and from the presidency of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP, conservatives), promising “an orderly transition”. He has held both positions since the end of 2021.
At a meeting of ÖVP leaders on Sunday, the movement’s general secretary, Christian Stocker, was named interim party leader. Christian Stocker said he had been authorized by his party to begin coalition negotiations with the far right. “This country needs a stable government today, and we cannot continue to waste time that we do not have on campaigns or elections,” he added.
A new path has opened
Shortly before, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen had indicated that he would meet Monday morning with the leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ, far right), Herbert Kickl, to “discuss the new situation”. “The voices within the ÖVP which ruled out working with (…) Kickl are becoming much more discreet,” the president told the press. “This means that a new path has opened up that didn’t exist before.”
During a press conference, Christian Stocker welcomed the president’s decision to discuss with the far-right leader, whose party had gathered nearly 29% of the votes in the legislative elections, but who until then had not had not found partners to form a government.
Observers wondered on Sunday whether Alexander Van der Bellen was going to ask the far right to try to form a government. The Austrian president had initially asked the conservatives to form a stable government that respects the “foundations of our liberal democracy”. In the past, he had several times expressed reservations towards Herbert Kickl, whose party is given 35% in the latest polls.
Political parties described as “losers”
Political science researcher Thomas Hofer told AFP that a far-right-led coalition with the conservatives as a minority partner had become “highly likely.” According to him, the ÖVP “cannot afford” early elections. When announcing his resignation, Chancellor Nehammer said he wanted to be “a central political force to build a bulwark against radicals”. The chancellor had previously said he was open to discussions with the FPÖ, but he always ruled out working with its leader Herbert Kickl.
In a press release, the leader of the far-right party Herbert Kickl on Saturday described the parties involved in the coalition discussions as “losers”. “Instead of stability, we have chaos” after three “wasted months,” he added. The conservatives of the ÖVP came in second position in the legislative elections with 26% of the votes, followed by the social democrats (SPÖ, center-left) at 21%.
The ÖVP has participated in the various governments of the country of 9 million inhabitants since 1987. It has already governed twice with the FPÖ, minority partner, in 2000 and in 2017.
(afp/er)
