The president of Austria, Alexander van der Bellen, commissioned this Tuesday the chancellor and leader of the conservative ÖVP, Karl Nehammerthe formation of a new Government with the social democratic opposition, after verifying that no one is willing to ally with the far-right FPÖ, the party with the most votes in the elections on September 29.
“I entrust Karl Nehammer, leader of the second strongest party in Parliament, to form a Government,” said the environmentalist. Van der Bellen in a message on social network X.
“I have informed you personally this morning and have also asked you to immediately begin negotiations with the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ),” he added in the brief statement that he almost simultaneously read verbatim in an appearance before the press at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna.
In addition to seeking an agreement to join forces with the Social Democrats, Nehammer will have to explore whether it is convenient to include “a third partner” so that the future alliance in power is “stable,” he explained. “Austria needs an integral, stable Government that is capable of acting,” he stressed.
The head of state thus informed the population of the decision he made after holding several rounds of consultations with the leaders of the five parties that will form part of the new Parliament, which emerged from the legislative elections won by the FPÖ with 28.8% of the votes.
They were followed by the Christian Democratic People’s Party (ÖVP) with 26.3%, the social democratic SPÖ with 21.1%, the liberal Neos with 9% and the Greens with 8%.
He recalled that the victory of the FPÖ does not guarantee it coming to power because, with 57 seats in a Parliament of 183 deputies, it needs partners to achieve a government majority and No party has shown itself willing to join forces with the extreme right-wing formation..
A broken tradition
He admitted that the decision announced this Tuesday does not correspond with the tradition of entrusting the formation of the new Government to the party with the most votes, something that is normal in Austria although it is not stipulated as law in the Constitution.
“This time I did not act like that (as is the custom) because a completely unusual situation arose in which there is a party with the largest number of votes, of course, but none of the other parties apparently want to work with it,” he explained.
In turn, the leader of the FPÖ, Herbert Kickl“he made it clear to me that the FPÖ would only participate in the Government if he is the chancellor [jefe del Ejecutivo]”, continued the president, highlighting how a situation had been reached that he described as a “classic stalemate.”
Regarding the reasons why the leaders of the other formations refuse to join the formation led by Kickl, he indicated that they had expressed various “concerns” about the FPÖ’s positions and how they could negatively affect the country.
Among them, he highlighted risks for “liberal democracy, the rule of law, the separation of powers”, as well as a “lack of a pro-European attitude” and a “proximity” to the Kremlin.
According to the president, both conservatives and social democrats fear that “huge security concerns on the part of foreign intelligence services would greatly restrict cooperation with Austria if Kickl participates in the government.”
In addition, they would have expressed their rejection of the “divisive and hateful language” of the ultras, as well as “a retrograde image of women.”
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