Austrian president spurns far-right despite election win

Austria’s president, Alexander Van der Bellen, said the party that wins a parliamentary election does not automatically get to form a government.

All other mainstream parties had ruled out going into government with the FPÖ in its current form, and the far-right does not have enough seats to go it alone.

The second place conservative Austria’s People’s Party (ÖVP), under incumbent Chancellor Karl Nehammer, has now been given the mandate to form another government. In order to do so, his only choice, besides the far-right, is to reach across the aisle, not just to his centre-left social democrats rivals, but also to either the greens or liberals as well.

The ÖVP have gone into government with the far-right in two previous administrations, but always with the FPÖ as the junior partner. This time round, Karl Nehammer made it clear he would not partner with the far-right FPÖ under its extremist leader, Herbert Kickl.

Kickl takes a strong anti-islamic, eurosceptic position and styles himself as a ‘Volkskanzler’ (people’s chancellor), a phrase Hitler used in the 1930s.

Kickl denies ‘Volkskanzler’ is a Nazi reference.

A government made up of conservatives and social democrats would not be easy. On major issues they are diametrically opposed and set out very different visions in last month’s election. Take immigration, where the ÖVP favour a harder line and the left takes a more pro-migrant approach.

“I will also be completely honest with you here. I cannot tell you today whether these talks and negotiations will actually lead to the formation of a government”, warned Karl Nehammer.

“What I can promise you, however, is that I will act in the spirit of stability, reliability and responsibility for our country.”

On their own, the conservatives and socialists would have a majority of one and Nehammer said they would therefore need a third party to shore up the number of members on the government benches.

“In order to ensure a stable parliamentary majority, a third partner will be needed,” he admitted.

Unlike the other parties which ruled out any coalition with the far-right, the ÖVP only refused to work with the FPÖ so long as Herbert Kickl was at the helm. Could the conservatives yet be tempted if he was to stand aside?

Herbert Kickl, said that the president’s decision to skip over the FPÖ for government “may seem like a slap in the face…But I promise you: The last word has not yet been spoken.”

“We will see which coalition will emerge at the end of this development. If the voters have their way, it can only be a government led by the FPÖ.”