AUSTIN — Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen announced on Sunday that he would be meeting with far-right politician Herbert Kickl. This comes amid rising speculation that he might invite the leader of the Freedom Party to form a new government.
Van der Bellen made the announcement after discussions with Chancellor Karl Nehammer and other officials at the presidential palace. Nehammer had previously announced plans to resign after coalition talks broke down between his conservative People’s Party and the center-left Social Democrats.
While Nehammer has expressed reluctance to work with Kickl, opinion within his party appears to be shifting. On Sunday morning, the People’s Party appointed Christian Stocker as interim leader, though President van der Bellen stated that Nehammer would remain chancellor for the time being.
Following his discussions, van der Bellen sensed a change within the People’s Party, feeling that the resistance to collaborating with Kickl was waning, which could lead to new possibilities. This prompted him to invite Kickl to a meeting on Monday morning.
Kickl’s Freedom Party dominated the recent autumn elections, securing 29.2% of the vote. However, Van der Bellen tasked Nehammer with forming a new government since no other parties were willing to collaborate with Kickl.
This decision faced backlash from Kickl and his supporters, who argued it was neither fair nor logical to deny him a chance at forming the government. Kickl stated on Sunday, “We are not responsible for the lost time, the chaotic situation, or the significant distrust that has arisen. The Freedom Party has been and remains the only stabilizing force in Austrian politics.”
Stocker addressed reporters later in the day, confirming his unanimous selection as interim leader of the People’s Party. “I am honored and pleased,” he stated. He welcomed the President’s decision to meet with Kickl, expressing hope that the party that emerged as the clear winner in the last elections would be entrusted with government formation.
“If we are invited to negotiate for government formation, we will accept that invitation,” Stocker added, despite having previously voiced serious concerns about Kickl, labeling him a “security risk” for the country.
The Freedom Party’s campaign platform, “Strength Austria,” calls for the “re-migration of unwelcome foreigners” to establish a more “homogeneous” nation by tightening border controls and suspending asylum rights through emergency legislation. They also advocate for ending sanctions against Russia, criticise Western military assistance to Ukraine, and seek to withdraw from the European Sky Shield Initiative, a missile defense project led by Germany. In 2016, the Freedom Party signed a friendship agreement with Putin’s United Russia Party, which they now assert has expired.
Kickl has been vocal against the “elites” in Brussels, arguing for the return of certain powers from the European Union to Austria.
Austria’s political landscape became more unstable on Friday when the liberal NEOS party withdrew from coalition talks with both the People’s Party and Social Democrats. On Saturday, the two remaining parties, possessing only a slim majority in Parliament, attempted another round of negotiations, but these also failed after just a few hours due to disagreements on how to address the budget deficit.
