FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl is currently meeting with Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen in the Hofburg. Before the interview, Kickl said he had “positive expectations” for the conversation.
Of course there was a huge flow of journalists and press photographers. After the welcome, Kickl and Van der Bellen posed for a few photos. A cheerful federal president joked: “As if you had never seen us before.”
The head of state now wants – as usual after elections for the National Council – to hold talks with the leaders of all parties. Chancellor and ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer and SPÖ leader Andreas Babler will follow on Monday. The final talks with NEOS boss Beate Meinl-Reisinger and Green Party leader Werner Kogler are scheduled for the next day.
Difficult relationship between Kickl and Van der Bellen
The smiling faces and kind words at the start of their meeting do not disguise the fact that the Federal President’s relationship with the blue frontman is quite difficult. The break between the two 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. Kickl in turn criticized Van der Bellen more than once, describing him as ‘senile’ or a ‘mummy’.
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.
