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 coalition talks with the Liberals and Social Democrats failed.
The Alpine EU member country plunged into political uncertainty on Saturday when conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer ended talks aimed at forming a centrist government without the far right, which came first in parliamentary elections late september.
In the process, Karl Nehammer announced that he will 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.
>> Lire : Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announces his upcoming resignation
Green light to negotiate with the far right
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 in election campaigns or elections,” he added.
Meeting with Herbert Kickl on Monday
Shortly before, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen had indicated that he was going to meet the leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ, far right), Herbert Kickl, on Monday to “discuss the new situation”.
“The voices within the ÖVP which ruled out working with (…) Kickl have become 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 almost 29% of the votes in the legislative elections but who until then had not found partners to form a government.
Uncertainties
It is not clear at the moment whether Alexander Van der Bellen will ask the far right to try to form a government.
The president initially asked conservatives to form a stable government that respects the “foundations of our liberal democracy.” In the past, he has several times expressed reservations towards Herbert Kickl, whose party is given 35% in the latest polls.
afp/kkub
