No one wants to work with Kickl

Government formation: Van der Bellen commissions ÖVP

Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen entrusts Karl Nehammer with the task of forming a viable government.

(Bild: APA/Max Slovencik)

On Monday, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen concluded his talks with all the deputies of the parties represented in the new National Council. As both Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) and Andreas Babler (SPÖ) had continued to refuse to govern with an FPÖ under Herbert Kickl, the head of state has now made a decision. 

After the talks on Monday in the offices of the Federal President, the party leaders Herbert Kickl (FPÖ), Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) and Andreas Babler (SPÖ) had remained tight-lipped. Van der Bellen said on Tuesday that Austria needed a government capable of taking action, so it was important to create clarity. 

"No race in which the first one automatically governs"
The National Council election is not a race in which "the first-placed candidate automatically governs". Those who cannot clear the 50 percent hurdle alone need partners, Van der Bellen reiterated: "Partners who want to work together and trust each other." 

Nobody can claim the whole nation for themselves alone. No one.

Bundespräsident Alexander Van der Bellen

Austria is a democratic republic, the law comes from the people. And the people are "all of us", said the Federal President. No one could claim the whole people for themselves, every vote counted equally, Van der Bellen continued. The head of state emphasized that the election result meant that at least two of the larger parties would have to work together: "Until now, it has traditionally been the case that the Federal President has given the party with the most votes the task of forming a government. But I didn't do that this time because nobody wants to work with the party with the most votes."

No one wants to form a coalition with Kickl
Herbert Kickl had made it clear that the FPÖ would only form a government with him as its leader, and vice versa, all other parties had ruled out working with a Kickl-FPÖ. "A classic stalemate", repeated Van der Bellen. He had been given concerns about liberal democracy, Russia policy, divisive and hateful language, a backward-looking image of women and many other concerns as reasons why cooperation with Kickl was impossible. 

Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen entrusts Karl Nehammer with the task of forming a viable government.

(Bild: APA/Max Slovencik)

Nehammer tasked with forming a government
According to Van der Bellen, it is now important for Austria to have a viable government in the near future, which is why he has tasked the leader of the second strongest party, Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), with forming a government and urged him to enter into negotiations with the SPÖ as soon as possible. Herbert Kickl will therefore not be given a government mandate.

ÖVP-SPÖ coalition would probably need a third partner
However, the ÖVP and SPÖ together only have one mandate surplus, which is likely to make a two-party coalition difficult and would probably require the involvement of a third partner. NEOS leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger, who came fourth ahead of the Greens in the National Council elections, has repeatedly put herself forward. But Green Party leader Werner Kogler had also repeatedly emphasized that they had already made a name for themselves as a governing party.