After the collapse of coalition negotiations between the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), and the liberal NEOS group last week, and Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s subsequent announcement that he will step down, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen has revealed plans to meet with Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Herbert Kickl to discuss the formation of a new government.
The meeting is scheduled for Monday at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, the president confirmed on X.
Negotiations aimed at forming a three-party government excluding the election-winning FPÖ broke down last Friday. Nehammer subsequently announced on Saturday that the People’s Party would no longer be involved in talks and that he would resign as both chancellor and party chairman.
Amid mounting pressure on Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and a surging Freedom Party, the liberal NEOS’ withdrawal from negotiations intensifies calls for new elections or an FPÖ-led government. https://t.co/b8x23PEuyB
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) January 3, 2025He cited “destructive forces” within the Social Democrats as the main reason for the collapse, claiming the proposed coalition agenda risked undermining Austria’s economic competitiveness.
Nehammer’s withdrawal marks a significant turning point for Austrian politics, coming just months after the federal election in which the FPÖ secured the highest share of votes but was overlooked for the chance to form a government. Despite its strong electoral performance, the FPÖ was initially excluded from coalition negotiations by Austria’s legacy parties who deemed its positions too radical.
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen has broken with tradition by handing the task for appointing a new government to incumbent Chancellor Karl Nehammer, whose party lost the recent Austrian elections to the right-wing FPÖ. https://t.co/B4A2tgJWxv
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) October 22, 2024Christian Stocker, appointed acting ÖVP party leader on Sunday, quickly made clear that he would be open to government negotiations with Kickl’s FPÖ. Speaking to the press, Stocker acknowledged that Austria “needs a stable government right now” and “can’t keep losing time” with further elections.
Such a position may have been formed by Stocker after taking stock of the polls which show the FPÖ only growing in popularity after the vote last year and the cordon sanitaire imposed around it by the mainstream parties.
“I expect that the leader of the party with the most votes will be tasked with forming a future government,” Stocker added. “If we are invited to these [coalition] talks, we will accept this invitation.”
This stance contrasts with the ÖVP’s previous insistence — under Nehammer’s leadership — that the party would not enter a coalition with the FPÖ. President Van der Bellen himself noted via X that the once vocal faction within the ÖVP ruling out cooperation with Kickl has grown “significantly quieter.”
Herbert Kickl took to Facebook on Sunday, insisting that the FPÖ stands for stability and was “not responsible for lost time, chaotic conditions or the enormous damage to trust” arising from the coalition deadlock.
“It is clear that the FPÖ was and is the only stable factor in Austrian domestic politics,” Kickl wrote.
He reiterated the party’s core priorities: an affordable standard of living, the recognition of achievement, justice, security, peace, and the protection of Austria’s homeland and future generations. Critically, he also reaffirmed his trademark slogan: “First the people, then the Chancellor.”
Kickl, whose party has advocated a hardline stance on immigration, also voiced skepticism about EU sanctions against Russia and questioned COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, alienating potential coalition partners. Yet, with negotiations between the ÖVP and SPÖ in tatters, the FPÖ appears poised for a serious shot at leading a new government.
President Van der Bellen emphasized the importance of compromise in a democracy, stating that “democracy is about struggling for solutions and then making compromises—sincerely.” He confirmed that he and Kickl will hold their discussion at 11 a.m. on Monday to determine whether the FPÖ can form a viable government, possibly with the ÖVP now ready to negotiate.
Ich habe in den vergangenen Stunden mit zahlreichen polit. Verantwortungsträgern gesprochen. Bei diesen Gesprächen hat sich das Bild ergeben, dass die Stimmen innerhalb der ÖVP, die eine Zusammenarbeit m.d. FPÖ unter Herrn Kickl ausschließen, deutlich leiser geworden sind. (1/3)
— Alexander Van der Bellen (@vanderbellen) January 5, 2025The outcome of these talks will set the trajectory for Austria’s next government and could usher in a new era of coalition politics — one that involves the FPÖ at the helm for the first time.
