After the domestic political earthquake in recent days, FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl will appear before Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen today at 11 a.m. The leader of the party with the most votes could now be tasked with forming a federal government.
More than three months have passed since the National Council elections – and Austria still has no federal government. After the coalition negotiations between ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS failed, Chancellor Karl Nehammer resigned as head of the People’s Party.
Will Kickl be immediately ordered to form a government?
Now the ball is in the court of Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, who announced on Sunday that he would meet FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl in the Hofburg on Monday morning. It is expected that Kickl, as leader of the party with the most votes, will now be tasked with forming a government.
However, matters are not yet completely settled. Because if all else fails, Van der Bellen can actually pave the way for new elections. The meeting with Kickl is expected to last about an hour, after which a statement from the Federal President is planned. An interim solution would be for Van der Bellen to send Kickl back into exploratory talks with all parties. Whether he will do so, given the time that has already passed since the election, is doubtful.
The FPÖ initially said they did not plan to make a more detailed statement until Tuesday. According to the PVV, it was again unclear on Monday whether this would remain the case.
ÖVP is already armed
Immediately after the election of the National Council, Van der Bellen refused to give the FPÖ leader a government contract due to a lack of prospects for success. But on Sunday he said “the situation had changed”. He was also informed that “the voices within the ÖVP that rule out cooperation with Kickl have become quieter,” according to Van der Bellen.
Chancellor Karl Nehammer remains in power for the time being, but has given up the task of forming a government. With Christian Stocker, there is now a new acting ÖVP boss at the helm. He has already emphasized that he is willing to accept any offer from the FPÖ for coalition negotiations.
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.
