In a major U-turn, Christian Stocker said he would enter coalition talks with the far-right if invited.
Austria’s conservatives say they are ready to make a U-turn on policy and enter talks with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) to form a new government after coalition talks with the Social Democratic Party and liberals collapsed.
The European Union country was plunged into political turmoil after conservative Prime Minister Karl Nehammer on Saturday ended talks to form a centrist government without the far-right party that won the most votes in September’s national elections. .
In response to the financial collapse, Nehammer said he would resign as prime minister and chairman of the People’s Party (OVP) within the next few days to allow for an “orderly transition”. He has held both positions since the end of 2021.
At a conference of conservative leaders on Sunday, OVP Secretary General Christian Stocker was elected interim leader.
Stocker has long reiterated Nehammer’s position that the OVP will not govern alongside far-right forces, but the situation has now changed and he has been given the power by the party to enter into coalition talks with the FPO if requested. He said there was.
“This country needs a stable government right now. We can’t keep wasting time on campaigning and elections we don’t have,” Stocker said.
“We expect that the leader who receives the most votes will be tasked with forming a future government. If we are invited to participate in these (coalition) talks, we will accept this invitation.”
Earlier, Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen announced he would meet FPO leader Herbert Kickle on Monday amid mounting speculation that he would ask the far-right politician to form a government.
Van der Bellen, former leader of the left-wing Green Party, who had expressed reservations about Kickle’s appointment as prime minister, said he did not seek to form a government after the election because no other party was willing to participate. It pissed off the FPO. Union.
Van der Bellen said the situation had changed, but stopped short of saying he would ask Kickle to lead coalition talks. He is scheduled to meet with Kickle at 11am (10pm Japan time) on Monday, and a new caretaker prime minister is also expected to be appointed next week, with Nehammer remaining in the role until then.
“The voices within the People’s Party that deny cooperation with the FPO led by Herbert Kickle have become much quieter. This in turn means that new avenues may open up that did not exist before,” Fan said.・Mr. Del Belen said this in his address to the nation.
Kickle gained significant support in the September election, securing nearly 30% of the vote for the first time.
The conservative OVP came in second with 26%, followed by the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPOe) with 21%.
The rise of the Austrian FPO reflects broader global trends, including the rise of prominent far-right figures in recent years in countries such as the United States, Argentina and Italy.
The FPO, which has never led an Austrian government, has advocated more hard-right policies, including stricter border controls and suspending asylum rights through emergency legislation.
The party also proposes an end to sanctions against Russia and is an outspoken critic of Western military aid to Ukraine.
The party has also expressed interest in withdrawing from the European Skyshield initiative, a missile defense project initiated by Germany.
Kickl has frequently criticized Brussels’ “elites” and called for certain powers to be repatriated from the EU to Austria.
Stocker previously called Kickle a “security risk” to the country.
