"Kickl extreme right-wing"

Tyrolean FPÖ leader demands apology from Nehammer

Tyrolean FPÖ leader Markus Abwerzger (right) finds Karl Nehammer's statements "not worthy" of a Federal Chancellor.

(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER, APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER, Krone KREATIV)

The Tyrolean FPÖ leader sees the attacks of the last few days against federal party chairman Herbert Kickl by the Chancellor as "crossing a red line". Markus Abwerzger is now demanding an apology from Karl Nehammer to Kickl.

Nehammer's statement on ORF's "Pressestunde" on Sunday in particular caused outrage among the Freedom Party. When asked whether he considered Kickl to be right-wing extremist, the head of government replied: "Yes, definitely." 

Herbert Kickl already describes himself as a "people's chancellor".

(Bild: APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU)

In an interview with APA, Abwerzger found that Nehammer's words were "unique in their dimension" and "not worthy of a Federal Chancellor". "Nehammer obviously suffers from verbal incontinence in this respect," said the Tyrolean FPÖ chairman in a sharp attack on the ÖVP federal party chairman and chancellor. He accused Kickl of having a "clear ideology" and thus trivialized "the darkest time in our history." He suspects that Nehammer simply does not understand the "dimension of the concept of what is right-wing extremist", explained Abwerzger. 

If Nehammer does not apologize, there can be no possible coalition cooperation with him in any case, according to the Tyrolean FPÖ chairman. In view of disastrous poll ratings and "excessive nervousness", the ÖVP leader is apparently going "all in", said Abwerzger.

ÖVP sees no reason for an apology
ÖVP General Secretary Christian Stocker, however, saw no reason for an apology. His party leader had merely told the "truth". He did not see why an apology was necessary. "After all, it was Herbert Kickl himself who only recently spoke of wanting to wear the attribute 'far-right' 'like a medal'," he said in a statement on Friday. If Kickl no longer wanted to be described as right-wing extremist, he should "clearly distance himself" from this.

The current debate goes back to a speech by the blue frontman at the New Year's meeting of the Freedom Party in mid-January in Premstätten near Graz in Styria. Kickl had said there that if Nehammer or Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) insulted him as "right-wing extremist", then "I wear this insult like a medal". Because "what they defame as evil and right-wing is in reality nothing other than the center of society," said Kickl.