In Austria, the leader of the Freedom Party has been tasked with forming a government.

2025-01-07 07:06:43https://svoboda.org/a/v-avstrii-lideru-partii-svobody-poruchili-sformirovatj-praviteljstvo/33265071.html

This occurred after unsuccessful negotiations to form a coalition of moderate parties, following which the incumbent Chancellor and former leader of the center-right Austrian People's Party, Karl Nehammer, announced his resignation.

The Freedom Party secured the top position in the parliamentary elections held last autumn. However, at that time, Van der Bellen did not grant Kickl the mandate to form a cabinet, citing that none of the parties that entered parliament were willing to negotiate a coalition with the right-wing populists.

Now the situation has changed, as the People's Party, after Nehammer's resignation, has expressed its readiness to enter negotiations with Kickl. In a televised address following a meeting with the leader of the Freedom Party on Monday morning, Van der Bellen stated that he had tasked Kickl with negotiating with the potential coalition partners.

Previously, the Freedom Party, which its opponents label as far-right primarily due to its strongly anti-immigrant rhetoric and agenda, had been part of the Austrian government, but as a junior coalition partner to the People's Party. Now, however, its leader is vying for the position of head of government.

Commentators note that the success of the negotiations is not guaranteed; however, given the current distribution of seats in parliament following the failed coalition talks without the participation of the Freedom Party, cooperation between the right-wing parties and the People's Party is the only possibility to form a cabinet. An alternative would be early elections.

In the elections held on September 29, 2024, the Freedom Party (FPÖ) received 29.2% of the votes. It advocates for stricter immigration policies and a reduction in European support for the war-torn Ukraine, as well as the easing or lifting of sanctions against Russia. The closest rival, the Austrian People's Party, garnered 26.5% of the votes. In third place is the Social Democratic Party of Austria with 21% of the votes.