On election night, Federal President Van der Bellen called Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP). The ÖVP wants Kickl to be the first to receive the government contract.
Alexander Van der Bellen and Herbert Kickl – that is an extremely tense relationship. The break took place in 2019. The Federal President dismissed Kickl as Minister of the Interior – at the request of then Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Never before has a minister been removed from office in the Second Republic.
Five years later, Van der Bellen would now have to give the government mandate to the FPÖ leader, whom he threw out of the coalition. It seems that the Federal President is having difficulty overcoming this hurdle. In his address to the nation, the head of state specified the conditions for the government’s mandate.
NEOS: Weak position in the negotiations
On the evening of the elections, ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer, who came second, called the Hofburg. The Chancellor asked Van der Bellen to give the government contract to the person who came first in the elections. Any other approach, we heard from all ÖVP party leaders in the election party, would further polarize the country and not be in line with democratic practices. If Kickl cannot form a coalition, it is legitimate for Van der Bellen to give the number two the opportunity to form a coalition.
The SPÖ has already nominated its coalition team. NEOS will follow suit today, Tuesday. As is known, Beate Meinl-Reisinger really wants to sit on the government bench. However, their negotiating position has deteriorated. Because the ÖVP and SPÖ currently have 92 mandates, that is a wafer-thin majority in parliament. If Meinl-Reisinger fails, she too will falter as the pink party leader.
Another variant: Van der Bellen waits with the government mandate until two or three parties approach him with a negotiated government program.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
