Austrian president asks Chancellor Nehammer to form government

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) – Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen on Tuesday asked incumbent Chancellor Karl Nehammer to form the next government instead of Herbert Kickl, whose party won a majority in the Sept. 29 elections.

At a press conference in Vienna on Tuesday, President Bellen explained that the talks so far have shown that Kickl, chairman of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), will be unable to form a coalition in the government.

"Austria needs a stable government with integrity that is capable of acting," said Bellen, who asked Austrian People's Party (OVP) leader Karl Nehammer to form the government.

Talks over the new government formation over the past few days have revealed that Kickl "will not find a coalition partner who would make him chancellor," the president said.

Earlier, the OVP refused to form a coalition government with the FPO, with Kickl serving as chancellor, and the other parties followed suit.

Bellen said the current goal is to "bring about a federal government as quickly as possible by other means."

“We are facing major challenges,” he said, stressing, “far-reaching reforms are needed.”

The president confirmed that he had already informed Nehammer and asked him to begin negotiations with the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO).

It is unclear whether a third partner is required, Nehammer said in a statement released in the afternoon following the president's decision to ask him to form a coalition government.

On Monday, the leaders of the three largest parties, the FPO, the OVP, and the SPO, met with the president to inform him of the two-way talks they had held on his advice.

Bellen had asked Kickl, Nehammer, and SPO leader Andreas Babler to seriously explore coalition options once again.

He said during his press conference that the OVP and SPO had expressed countless concerns over the FPO after the talks, including the FPO's stance on the EU, its Russia policy, and proximity to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as a lack of distinction from right-wing extremism and divisive, derogatory language.

According to the president, these are the issues that "from the point of view of the OVP and SPO speak against cooperation."

The FPO won the Austrian parliamentary elections on Sept. 29, beating out the OVP and SPO.

The FPO and the OVP would form a coalition government, and they are likely to include a third partner.

The possible third partner, the New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS), said in a press release on Tuesday that it is open to "serious exploratory talks."