(CLO) Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has tasked Herbert Kickl, leader of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), with forming a coalition government after the center-right's attempt to form a coalition unexpectedly failed over the weekend.
It was a remarkable turnaround for Mr Van der Bellen, a former leader of the left-wing Green Party who had been a vocal critic of the FPO and clashed with Kickl. But after the centre-right failed to form a coalition, the president was left with few other options.
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen. Photo: Bundespräsident.at
The FPO – a party known for its Eurosceptic and pro-Russian views – won 29% of the vote in the September 2024 parliamentary elections. It will now negotiate with its only viable partner, the conservative People’s Party (OVP), to form the first government since the party was founded in the 1950s.
"I have given him the task of starting negotiations with the People's Party to form a government," Van der Bellen said on television after meeting Kickl. "I did not make this decision lightly," he stressed.
As Mr Kickl left the meeting, hundreds of protesters, including Jewish students and left-wing activists, booed, whistled, chanted “Nazis out of Austria” and held banners such as “We don’t want far-right Austria”.
President Van der Bellen angered the FPO by not giving them the mandate to form a government immediately after the election, when none of the potential coalition partners agreed to cooperate. Instead, the task was given to People's Party leader and Chancellor Karl Nehammer, the party that came second in the election.
However, Mr Nehammer's efforts to form a three-way, then two-way, coalition with other centrist parties failed over the weekend, forcing him to announce his resignation.
Under the interim leadership of Christian Stocker, the People's Party (OVP) has changed its stance. Nehammer had previously said he would not cooperate with Kickl, calling him a "conspiracy theorist" and a "security threat." But with Nehammer's departure, that hardline stance has been abandoned.
"We are at an early stage. If we are invited to negotiations, the outcome is still open," Wilfried Haslauer, governor of Salzburg and a key OVP figure, told ORF.
If the talks fail, Austria could face early elections. Polls show support for the FPO has been rising since September.
The OVP and FPO share similar views on a number of issues, notably a tough stance on immigration. However, they disagree sharply on how to reduce the budget deficit – which is expected to exceed the EU-mandated 3% of GDP in 2024 and 2025.
The FPO has pledged to curtail the interests of interest groups closely tied to the OVP, such as the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. It also opposes aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia and opposes current plans to build a missile defense system.
Some international newspapers such as The Guardian and Deutsche Welle also commented that the FPO's new term could make Austrian politics more tense, especially in the context of the volatile relationship between the EU and Russia.
Cao Phong (according to AUG, Euronews, Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/be-tac-chinh-tri-dang-cuc-huu-ao-dung-len-thanh-lap-chinh-phu-post329303.html
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