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, he 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.
“A new path has opened”
At a meeting of ÖVP leaders on Sunday, the movement’s general secretary, Christian Stocker, was named interim party leader. The latter declared that 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.
Shortly before, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen had indicated that he was going to 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 have been much more discreet,” the president told the press. “This means that a new path that didn’t exist before has opened up. »
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.
“Highly likely”
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 has several times expressed reservations towards Herbert Kickl, whose party is given 35% in the latest polls.
Political science researcher Thomas Hofer said 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.
