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The FPÖ party leader has invited the ÖVP to coalition talks, signalling his intention to bury the hatchet between the two parties.
A “shift in power” within the European Union is inevitable if Austrian far-right leader Herbert Kickl forms a government, according to a political analyst. As Kickl prepares for potential coalition talks with the conservative Austrian’s People’s Party (ÖVP), political scientist Peter Hajek says “there’s no question that with Kickl as Federal Chancellor there will of course also be a slight shift in power within the European Union.” Kickl’s leadership is “really unpredictable,” according to Hajek, and he “has always pulled out new tricks,” adding that if he were to become chancellor, he must “set a course that the previous government did not.” Kickl’s Freedom Party (FPÖ) secured victory in recent parliamentary elections, winning 28.8% of the vote and surpassing outgoing Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s conservative ÖVP, which came in second. Austrian president Alexander Van der Bellen initially tasked Nehammer with forming a government. However, the ÖVP refused to enter a coalition with the FPÖ under Kickl – leading to a political stalemate. No more options on the tableEfforts to form a governing alliance without the FPÖ failed by early January, prompting Nehammer to announce his resignation last Saturday.Van der Bellen then gave Kickl the green light to attempt to form a ruling coalition. The conservative ÖVP is the only viable coalition partner for the FPÖ, but Kickl urged the party to be “honest” in talks or face the threat of a snap election amidst rising support for his own political group. Coalition talks between the far right and conservatives aren’t guaranteed to succeed, but there are no longer any other realistic options in the current parliament and polls suggest that a new election soon could strengthen the FPÖ further. If Kickl succeeds, it would be the first far-right government in Austria since World War II. The Austrian president’s office announced Wednesday that Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg will serve as the country’s interim leader while the FPÖ attempts to put together a new coalition government. Schallenberg, 55, will take on the duties of the outgoing Nehammer, who plans to officially step down on Friday.
