In Austria, the far right is responsible for forming a government for the first time

This is a first in the history of the country. Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen asked the leader of the far-right FPÖ party, Herbert Kickl, to find a majority to govern Austria, after negotiations by other political forces failed.

In view of “the new situation (…), I loaded” Herbert Kickl, whose party came first in the legislative elections at the end of September with nearly 29% of the votes, “to hold discussions with the conservatives”declared the environmentalist head of state. He spoke after a meeting of just over an hour with the far-right leader, adding that he had no “it wasn’t easy to take” such a decision.

In October, the president preferred to choose the outgoing conservative chancellor, Karl Nehammer, to lead the negotiations, contrary to custom which normally reserves this right to the winning party. But the failure of negotiations with the Social Democrats and the Liberals, followed by the announced resignation of Karl Nehammer, a fierce opponent of Herbert Kickl, changed the situation.

The FPÖ, “Austrian Freedom Party” in French, has already participated in power as a minority partner, but it has never yet occupied the chancellery in this state of nine million inhabitants, member of the European Union . The far right also currently participates in four of the nine regional governments. The Conservatives’ new interim leader, Christian Stocker, has said he is open to talks with the far right, with both parties sharing close positions on the economy and immigration. Austrian conservatives have already allied themselves with the FPÖ twice, in 2000 and in 2017.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the Hofburg Palace, the seat of the presidency in Vienna, on Monday, shouting “Nazis out”. The FPÖ was founded by former Nazis, and Herbert Kickl wants to be called People’s Chancellor“chancellor of the people” – like Adolf Hitler, a native of Austria – even if he denies any Nazi references. He has opted for a hard line, opposed to the media, to LGBT+, to Europe and to the elites, far from any strategy of demonization, and speaks without apologizing about “remigration”, an unconstitutional project to forfeit nationality and expel Austrians of non-European origin. He is also quick to insult his opponents.