But stretches out his hand

FPÖ committees meet for further roadmap

FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl wants to govern with the ÖVP, but at the same time also puts the rod in the People's Party's window.

(Bild: APA/Helmut Fohringer)

After receiving his government mandate, FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl "extended his hand" to the ÖVP on Tuesday afternoon regarding a possible coalition. As the blue front man emphasized, he wanted to waste no time and start a "massive political firefighting operation" in view of Austria's precarious economic situation. However, his offer to the People's Party is also peppered with warnings.

On Tuesday evening, he will recommend to the FPÖ party committees that they enter into negotiations with the People's Party, explained Kickl. Clarity would then be needed quickly as to whether a coalition was possible.

Kickl puts a rod in the ÖVP's window
At the same time, Kickl issued several warnings to the ÖVP. He now wanted "no games, no tricks, no sabotage, no obstructionism, no politics for the sake of maintaining power", said the FPÖ leader. What is needed is a partner that is united, homogeneous and stable.

I don't want any games, no tricks, no sabotage, no obstructionism, no politics for the sake of maintaining power.

Herbert Kickl in Richtung ÖVP

He also does not want an internally divided ÖVP as a coalition partner, where different players pursue different goals. "If that is not guaranteed, then that's it," said the FPÖ leader. Because his party is prepared for new elections.

Kickl currently holds all the trump cards.

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

According to his own statement, Kickl could have made himself more comfortable on Monday and rejected the government mandate from Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. "Going to new elections would have been a safe bet. I trust myself and the FPÖ to materialize the current polls into votes in an election campaign."

I have opted for the political path.

FPÖ-Parteichef Herbert Kickl

"The political path"
But the blue frontman had decided differently. "I have opted for the political path. For the path of unity. For national political responsibility. Because there is no time to lose for Austria." His hand is outstretched towards the ÖVP.

Herbert Kickl wants to recommend that the blue party committees enter into negotiations with the People's Party.

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Kickl is conciliatory
Despite the fierce attacks on his person from the ÖVP, the 56-year-old emphasized that he was not looking to the past, "but to the future". Unforgiveness leads to nothing, even if he understands the skepticism of some warning voters of the People's Party: "At first I also thought I wasn't hearing correctly," said the FPÖ leader on the ÖVP's swing towards the Freedom Party.

FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl wants to govern with the ÖVP, but at the same time puts the rod in the People's Party's window.

(Bild: APA/Helmut Fohringer)

FPÖ and ÖVP: the second attempt
The fact that he is now talking to the People's Party is not easy for him either. At the same time, he told the ÖVP that they would have to recognize who had become the strongest party and who had ended up in second place. However, the FPÖ leader emphasized that personal sensitivities would play a subordinate role in government negotiations. The Freedom Party had already published a position paper for negotiations after the failure of the first talks with the People's Party under outgoing Chancellor Karl Nehammer and had always preferred the Turks as a possible partner.

The new acting ÖVP chairman Christian Stocker, as former Secretary General of his party, had fired particularly sharp shots at Herbert Kickl.

(Bild: APA/picturedesk.com/Helmut Fohringer)

ÖVP: Babler has opened the door for Kickl
Even before Kickl's press conference, the ÖVP once again tried to blame the SPÖ for the failure of the coalition negotiations between the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS. "Babler has cleared the way for Kickl", explained ÖVP party chairman August Wöginger in a press release. SPÖ chairman Andreas Babler had "stuck rigidly to old left-wing dogmas and shown no willingness to compromise in order to move the country forward", he argued in a similar vein to Nehammer the day before.

August Wöginger (ÖVP)

(Bild: APA/Georg Hochmuth)

Black-Blue often went very quickly
Looking at the past, the government negotiations between the two parties could go quickly. Former ÖVP leader Wolfgang Schüssel steered the Freedom Party into a black-blue coalition twice within just a few days. The government negotiations in 1999/2000 were legendary, which, after many twists and turns, led to Schüssel forming a coalition with the then FPÖ leader Jörg Haider, virtually bypassing the Hofburg.

Sebastian Kurz was also able to quickly persuade the FPÖ to cooperate. At that time, there were no weeks of preliminary talks; the negotiations were concluded after around two months.

Interim chancellor to be appointed this week
An interim chancellor is to be appointed this week, Nehammer will officially step down on Friday as announced. Van der Bellen had said on Sunday that he would appoint a successor "in the course of the coming week".