A recent news that took the Austrian political scenario by storm was the possibility of Herbert Kickl, the far-right Freedom Party leader, being appointed to construct a government. This announcement was made by Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, who looks ready to collaborate with Kickl, despite previous apprehensions from various governmental factions.
Ahead of this, President Van der Bellen had a powwow with Chancellor Karl Nehammer and some more key officials at his presidential palace. Nehammer’s party, the conservative Austrian People’s Party, has had some internal discord, with coalition dialogues with the Social Democrats falling through over budgetary concerns. Nehammer had, till now, been unwilling to cooperate with Kickl.
The imminent resignation of Nehammer has led to much conjecture. However, it appears the discord within the Austrian People’s Party about collaborating with Kickl has somewhat abated. This was inferred by President Van der Bellen after his lengthy discussions with pivotal officials, opening an avenue for him to discuss matters with Kickl.
Christian Stocker, the general secretary of the People’s Party, was proposed as temporary leader, while Chancellor Nehammer retains his position for the time being. This shift has prompted Van der Bellen to invite Kickl to a meeting at the presidential palace, to explore this ‘potentially new path’.
In the recent national elections, Kickl’s Freedom Party triumphed, bagging a substantial 29.2% of the total votes cast. Yet, Kickl’s appointment to form a government seemed farfetched, as Van der Bellen entrusted Nehammer with the responsibility, considering no other party was inclined to work with Kickl.
The decision to overlook Kickl and his popular Freedom Party elicited severe rebuke from their supporters and the Freedom Party itself. Kickl openly expressed his discontent, labelling it ‘not right and not logical’ that despite the election results, he wasn’t handed the mandate to form a government.
Herbert Kickl, on his social media, defended his party’s position saying that they were not culpable for the ‘wasted time’, the prevailing confusion or the erosion of trust that ensued. Rather, he stated that his party remained the bulwark of Austrian politics in terms of stability.
In an address to the media, Christian Stocker reaffirmed that he had been unanimously chosen as the interim leader by his party. In the past, Stocker has been critical of Kickl, but in this instance, he seemed to welcome the decision taken by the President for meeting Kickl signalling a potential new political direction.
He further stipulated his hope that Kickl, the leader of the winning party, would be tasked with forming a government. Agreeing to sit for negotiations in the event of an invitation, Stocker exuded positivity about upcoming political developments.
However, Kickl’s policies have been under scrutiny due to their stringent position on issues like immigration and national security. His party’s election program, ‘Fortress Austria,’ entails measures such as tightly controlled borders, suspension of the right to asylum via an emergency law, and achieving a more ‘homogeneous’ nation.
Kickl’s Freedom Party also advocates for an end to the sanctions against Russia and has expressed criticism over Western Military aid to Ukraine. They have voiced intentions to step out of the European Sky Shield Initiative, a missile defense project initiated by Germany.
Some years ago, in 2016, the Freedom Party signed a friendship agreement with Russia’s United Russia Party, which they claim has now expired. Kickl has also expressed his desire to reclaim some powers from the European Union back to Austria, taking a swipe at ‘elites’ in Brussels.
Last Friday, Austria was plunged into a political crisis when the liberal party Neos withdrew from coalition talks with the People’s Party and the Social Democrats. Following this, an attempt was made by the two remaining chattel, who jointly have a single-seat majority only in Parliament, to form a government.
The attempt, however, proved futile after only a few hours of negotiations. It became clear that the parties were unable to forge an agreement on how to address the country’s budget deficit, leading to an impasse that further stirred up the political landscape.
This situation clearly indicates a reshuffling in the political power dynamics within Austria. The periodic political unrest in the country has resulted in a rather uncertain future for the government, thus leaving the citizens eagerly awaiting for the directives from the next set of leadership discussions.