VIENNA — The head of Austria’s Freedom Party has officially been granted a mandate to pursue the formation of a new government, which, if successful, would mark the first time since World War II that Austria is led by a far-right administration.
The Freedom Party, known for its anti-immigration stance and skepticism towards the European Union, secured 28.8% of the votes in Austria’s parliamentary elections in September, surpassing the conservative Austrian People’s Party led by former Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
Following the elections, President Alexander Van der Bellen initially asked Nehammer to explore options for a new governing coalition. However, Nehammer’s party ruled out collaboration with the Freedom Party under Herbert Kickl, leading to failed attempts to form a coalition devoid of far-right participation. Nehammer announced his resignation on Saturday after these efforts faltered.
Recently, the Austrian People’s Party indicated potential openness to working alongside Kickl, prompting President Van der Bellen to meet with him for discussions at the presidential palace. After their hour-long conversation, Van der Bellen tasked Kickl with engaging in talks with the People’s Party regarding the formation of a new government.
“I did not take this step lightly,” the president stated, reaffirming his commitment to upholding the constitutional norms throughout this process.
Historically, the Freedom Party has acted as a junior partner in coalitions with conservative parties, most notably when they governed from 2017 to 2019, which ended amid a scandal involving their then-leader. Present negotiations between the two parties may not guarantee success, but there are limited alternatives in the current parliamentary landscape, and opinions suggest that another election could bolster the Freedom Party’s position further.
The Freedom Party’s election manifesto, dubbed “Fortress Austria,” outlines aggressive measures including promoting the “remigration of uninvited foreigners,” striving for a more “homogeneous” population through strict border controls, and suspending asylum rights through emergency laws.
Additionally, the party advocates for an end to sanctions against Russia, strongly criticizing Western military support to Ukraine, while expressing intentions to withdraw from the European Sky Shield Initiative, a missile defense collaboration initiated by Germany. Kickl has been vocal against what he perceives as elite control from Brussels, calling for a transfer of specific powers from the European Union back to Austria.
The Freedom Party is part of the European Parliament’s right-wing populist alliance, known as Patriots for Europe, which includes the political factions led by Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Geert Wilders from the Netherlands, who also leads the current government in the Netherlands.
President Van der Bellen acknowledged the challenges that the forthcoming government will likely encounter, stating, “The economic environment is difficult. Austria is in a persistent recession, unemployment is rising; at the same time, our state budget must be restructured.” He emphasized that while the measures required might not be well-received, they must be implemented nonetheless.
Highlighting geopolitical concerns, particularly due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Van der Bellen stressed the necessity of fostering European cooperation for Austria’s benefit in trade and industry.
The President, who comes from a liberal background and previously aligned with the environmentalist Green party, stated that he and Kickl had detailed discussions about media freedom in the country.
While Kickl expressed hopes for finding “viable solutions” in coalition negotiations, he opted not to engage with reporters as he exited the meeting.
As these developments unfolded, a gathering of around 200-300 demonstrators took place outside the presidential palace. Protester Martin Fuchs articulated their concerns, stating, “We don’t want to wake in a fascist country. We also don’t want to wake up in an authoritarian system like in Hungary. We want to maintain democracy in Austria and strengthen it.”
