President Van der Bellen Designates a Far-Right FPO Leader to Lead Government Formation

Herbert Kickl has been asked by Austria’s President to build an alliance, which could mean a change in the political situation.

Alexander Van der Bellen, the president of Austria, has officially asked Herbert Kickl, the leader of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), to put together a coalition government.

If they win, this would be the first time that the anti-EU, pro-Russia FPO has been in charge of Austria as the main party. Even though the FPO has been in charge before, it was only as a junior alliance partner.

In September’s election, the Freedom Party got about 29% of the vote, making it the biggest party. At first, though, it wasn’t given much attention because President Van der Bellen didn’t invite Kickl to form a government, which made the FPO very angry. At that time, the heads of all the other parties said they would not work with Kickl.

Instead, in October, Van der Bellen gave the conservative People’s Party (OVP), which came in second with 26% of the vote, the job of putting together an alliance. Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who led the OVP at the time, called Kickl a security risk and a conspiracy believer.

Nehammer tried to build a coalition with three groups at first, then with two, but in the end, his efforts failed. After these talks fell through, Nehammer quit, and the new leader of the ÖVP, Christian Stocker, said he was willing to talk with Kickl.

A big change happened when President Van der Bellen asked Kickl to help him make a government. The president, who used to be the leader of the Green Party, has been a loud critic of the Freedom Party for a long time and has said he doesn’t think Kickl should be Chancellor.

In a statement released on Monday, Van der Bellen said that he understood how serious his choice was and emphasized his dedication to upholding Austria’s constitutional values. He promised to keep an eye on things like human rights, free media, and Austria’s membership in the European Union to protect democratic principles.

The Freedom Party and the OVP agree on how to handle migration, but they strongly disagree on things like joining the EU and supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Coalition talks usually take two to three months, but they could end sooner if needed. Austria could have an early election if the talks fail. Since September, polls have shown that support for the Freedom Party has been growing.