Christian Stocker, one of the harshest critics of FPÖ party leader Herbert Kickl, has swiftly changed his tune on coalition talks with the conservative party, reports Kurier.at.
“Mr. Kickl, nobody wants you in this house. Nobody needs you in this republic either,” Stocker had previously said, also repeatedly describing Kickl as a “security risk” and claiming he had failed in the fight against terrorism as interior minister.
Stocker is now the acting chairman of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), after being unanimously elected by the ÖVP executive committee to succeed Karl Nehammer, who has resigned. The new chairman wants to start negotiations with the FPÖ, he announced at his inaugural press conference.
“I welcome the decision of the federal president to meet the chairman of the FPÖ on Monday in the Hofburg. I expect that, as chairman of the party with the most votes, he will be entrusted with forming a government,” said Stocker, adding that “if we are invited to talks, we will accept the invitation.”
Stocker also addressed his earlier comments on Kickly, saying, “My words against Kickl were very harsh. But since yesterday the situation has changed. It is not about Kickl or me, but about forming a stable government.”
He did not comment further on the reasons for the failure of the negotiations to form a coalition government, which would have excluded the FPÖ.
“Now is not the time for mutual blame” but says Austria “needs a stable government now, and quickly” further posting on X that “if the FPÖ is given the mandate to form a government, the People’s Party will be available for talks – out of responsibility for Austria!”
Kurier notes that other ÖVP politicians are now beginning to talk themselves into an alliance with the FPÖ, which had been outright rejected before. Lower Austria’s governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner said that “new elections would paralyze this country for many months and further delay urgently needed measures for economic recovery and in the fight against political Islam.” She further claimed that she and many Austrians “lack the understanding for this” and urged parties to “work together for this republic.”
