FPÖ commits itself

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Norbert Hofer was also considered as a candidate for the office of First President of the National Council.

(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

It now seems clear that the FPÖ will not put Norbert Hofer forward for the office of President of the National Council. Instead, the political veteran will contest the Burgenland election in 2025 as the Freedom Party's top candidate. Hofer is said to have reached an agreement with party leader Herbert Kickl. 

This was agreed by the regional party executive on Thursday evening in Pinkafeld (Oberwart district), the home town of the third President of the National Council.

Most recently it was said that Hofer himself would prefer the role of President of the National Council. Alongside the 53-year-old, Ombudsman Walter Rosenkranz was considered the most promising FPÖ candidate for the post. Member of Parliament Susanne Fürst is mentioned as an alternative.

According to reports, Hofer is said to have agreed with party leader Herbert Kickl to run as a fixed blue candidate in the next presidential election in 2028. The two are said to have had a discussion and reconciled after Kickl took over the party, which led to a rift.

FPÖ turned Burgenland blue
In Sunday's election, the blue party achieved 28.8 percent in Hofer's home province, putting it ahead of the ÖVP and SPÖ.

Norbert Hofer speculated with the office of President of the National Council.

(Bild: APA/HANS KLAUS TECHT)

A press conference with Hofer and provincial party chairman Alexander Petschnig has been called for Friday under the heading "Paukenschlag" (drumbeat). Hofer will be officially presented as the top candidate in the FPÖ provincial parliamentary club in the provincial parliament in Eisenstadt.

At the meeting of the provincial party executive committee, it was also decided who would take over Petschnig's seat in the provincial parliament, as he is moving to the National Council. The seat in the provincial parliament will go to Michaela Brandlhofer. 

The 59-year-old from northern Burgenland has "massive social competence" and will work for "social, safe and fair policies", according to a press release in the evening.

Petschnig will continue to hold the office of provincial party chairman for the time being, he explained recently. Michael Gmeindl is now likely to replace Hofer in the National Council, as the APA has learned. Gmeindl was already first on the list of the Burgenland Blue Party in the EU elections in June.

Red-Blue in Burgenland in the future?
Burgenland's governor Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ) has not ruled out a red-blue coalition in the past. A distinction must be made here between the Kickl-FPÖ and the Freedom Party in the state: "The people in Burgenland do not divide the population. And that is a significant difference," Doskozil explained recently. Above all, the red head of state is said to get on well with Hofer personally.

However, cooperation would put SPÖ party leader Andreas Babler in need of an explanation, as he has positioned himself as a "firewall" to the FPÖ.