Far-right leader seeks power in post-election Austria


Listen To Story Above

During his initial remarks after being entrusted with forming a new government, Herbert Kickl, the leader of the far-right Austrian party, expressed his aspiration to “govern Austria honestly” as he prepared for potential coalition talks with conservatives who had previously criticized him harshly.

Kickl acknowledged the possibility of new elections if the coalition efforts fail. His Russia-friendly, anti-immigration, and euroskeptic Freedom Party emerged victorious in Austria’s parliamentary election in September. However, they were initially shunned by other parties, whose attempts to form a coalition without them proved unsuccessful.

On Monday, Kickl received a mandate to explore the formation of what would be Austria’s first national government led by the far-right since World War II. This development came after the conservative Austrian People’s Party, led by the outgoing Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who announced his resignation on Saturday, made an abrupt reversal on its previous refusal to consider working with the Freedom Party under Kickl’s leadership.

Kickl, a 56-year-old with a provocative style, made it clear that he has not forgotten past frictions with the People’s Party. Nehammer had described him as a “security risk,” and the party’s interim leader, Christian Stocker, stated during the election campaign that anyone voting for Kickl “is voting for five years of high risk with radical ideas.”

“Our country was driven into the wall in the past five years,” Kickl said, pointing particularly to Austria’s substantial budget deficit and what he termed as “a massive trust deficit” accumulated by mainstream parties. He stated, “I have a very, very simple aim, and that is to govern Austria honestly.”

Kickl expressed his intention to reach out to Stocker, acknowledging their “interesting past together” but emphasizing honesty. He outlined clear expectations, including “an awareness of who won the election, and who finished second and isn’t the winner.” He also demanded “an understanding of who is responsible for the mistakes of the past” and a partner with stable and consistent leadership.

“If this isn’t assured… I can say that’s it,” Kickl warned. “Then there will be new elections – we are prepared for that.”

The Freedom Party secured 28.8% of the vote in September, a nearly 13-point gain from five years earlier when the party faced voter backlash following a scandal involving its then-leader, which led to the collapse of a conservative-led government in which it was a junior partner.

The Austrian People’s Party came second with 26.3%, and the center-left Social Democrats, one of Austria’s traditional major parties in the post-war era, finished third with 21.1%.

The Freedom Party’s poll ratings have risen since the election, as its rivals struggled to find common ground. Surveys published in December put its support between 35% and 37%.

Kickl did not address any specific policies for Austria, a member of the European Union but not NATO, in his lengthy statement to reporters. He took no questions.

The Freedom Party is part of a right-wing populist alliance in the European Parliament, Patriots for Europe, which includes the parties of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Geert Wilders of the Netherlands, whose party dominates the country’s new government.

Nehammer is set to step down on Friday, but it remains unclear who will serve as interim chancellor while Kickl explores a potential coalition.

 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR