ÖVP Secretary General:

Kickl lacks majority and acceptance among the population

FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl

(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

Following the record result for the FPÖ in Vorarlberg, party leader Herbert Kickl is entering the second round of exploratory talks with the SPÖ and ÖVP this week. While he appeals to the "reasonable forces" in the People's Party, ÖVP General Secretary Christian Stocker says dryly: Kickl not only lacks the majority in parliament to govern, but also the acceptance of the population.

The will of the voters, which has lifted the Freedom Party to first place, must be respected, Kickl said in advance, thus increasing the pressure on the People's Party on Monday even before the talks between the party leaders of the FPÖ, ÖVP and SPÖ called for by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen.

On Monday afternoon, Secretary General Stocker then spoke on behalf of the ÖVP at a press conference. The ÖVP is also of the opinion that the party with the most votes should be given the task of forming a government. On the other hand, Nehammer had already made it clear in the summer "that we will not conduct coalition negotiations with Herbert Kickl". The ÖVP is keeping its word and will stand by everything it said before the election, even after the election.

ÖVP General Secretary Christian Stocker

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Stocker: The FPÖ and ÖVP are worlds apart
Contrary to Kickl's claims, there are major differences between the two parties in terms of content and program, Stocker emphasized. In terms of ideology, they are worlds apart - because conspiracy theories are just as en vogue in the FPÖ as the lack of differentiation from the Identitarians, for example: "For this reason, a coalition with Herbert Kickl is out of the question for the ÖVP," Stocker emphasized. The People's Party, which ran under Karl Nehammer's name, is true to its (almost) 1.3 million voters. However, the desire for change of the 1.4 million FPÖ voters "despite Herbert Kickl" was understood, he emphasized.

With regard to Kickl's claims, Stocker noted that there is no majority voting system in Austria and that Kickl therefore needs a coalition partner and a majority in parliament. However, he lacked these as well as acceptance among the population. For the ÖVP Secretary General, this is no wonder: anyone who insults everyone else as dictators and traitors to the people for five years should not be surprised that they then cannot find a partner to form a coalition "and that they are then alone at home".