Kickl with the President

And once again, all eyes are on the Hofburg

Alexander Van der Bellen and FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl were never completely on the same page. Nevertheless, the Federal President finally gave him a mandate to form a government.

(Bild: APA-PictureDesk/JOE KLAMAR / AFP / picturedesk.com)

Yes, no or no? The status of relations between the ÖVP and FPÖ can currently be described as "complicated", with the status of negotiations for a coalition fluctuating between faltering, at a standstill and moving. Herbert Kickl is expected to pay a visit to Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen today. And once again, all eyes are on the Hofburg ...

Will it be blue-black or new elections? After the recent escalation over who gets which ministries, there is radio silence. There could be more clarity after FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl's talks with Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen today. As the "Krone" has learned, Kickl is expected at the Hofburg in the early afternoon. It is not known what ÖVP leader Christian Stocker discussed with the head of state on Wednesday.

Blue euphoria quickly evaporated
Kickl and Van der Bellen had never really been on the same page, but the Federal President gave the FPÖ leader the task of forming a government after the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS "Zuckerl" option fell through. Kickl, who had won the most votes with the FPÖ in the National Council elections on September 29, 2024, felt vindicated. The Blue Party then started the talks with the ÖVP with a great deal of self-confidence, after the ÖVP had quickly replaced its leader after Karl Nehammer had insisted on not negotiating with Kickl. 

However, the initial euphoria quickly faded and the differences of opinion on content were soon joined by a heated debate about two ministries in particular. Finance and Home Affairs - two key ministries when it comes to shaping the Republic. Both the Blue and Black parties would like to have the ministerial post here. As the election winner, the FPÖ believed itself to be in a stronger position, but the People's Party was not so easily impressed.

Even party leaders got nowhere
On Tuesday, a small meeting was finally held with the party leaders to actually discuss unresolved issues - but relatively quickly the discussion turned to the division of ministries. The two parties then parted company late on Tuesday afternoon, with the ÖVP speaking of a "difficult phase".

ÖVP leader Christian Stocker visited Alexander Van der Bellen on Wednesday afternoon.

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

It is not known what ÖVP leader Christian Stocker discussed with the head of state on Wednesday. In any case, the stalemate in the coalition negotiations is likely to have been the topic. According to ÖVP circles, the proposal presented by Kickl on Tuesday regarding the division of ministries is "unacceptable" for the People's Party, does not correspond to the election results and is therefore not on an equal footing. Following an internal vote on Wednesday, a counter-proposal was therefore submitted to the Freedom Party, which "can be discussed at the negotiating table if Herbert Kickl wants to continue the talks he has interrupted".

FPÖ denies counter-offer
This presentation by the ÖVP angered the FPÖ on Thursday. They denied that they had received a counter-offer from the ÖVP. There had merely been an "atmospheric discussion between two members of the chief negotiators' group" on Wednesday - not the party leaders - and nothing more. They are still waiting for an answer from the ÖVP regarding the list submitted by Kickl. Furthermore, the FPÖ angrily denied having interrupted the negotiations on Tuesday, as the People's Party claimed. Kickl had submitted the list to Stocker, Stocker had then announced internal consultations and left.

In any case, Kickl is now meeting with Van der Bellen on Thursday. The FPÖ is hoping for more clarity on how to proceed. After all, it is currently not known what the ÖVP is planning and what Stocker has discussed with the President, according to blue negotiating circles.

Also content-related sticking points open
The allocation of posts was of course not the only open point in the negotiations. (EU) foreign policy or media, but also, for example, in the areas of finance and taxes, have repeatedly led to heated debates in the subgroups. These unresolved issues are to be dealt with by the chief negotiators, but no real progress has been made so far.

There is still no movement from either side on the bank levy demanded by the Freedom Party. The Turkish economic wing is also likely to be opposed to a financial contribution by the chambers to the budget restructuring. There are also other points of contention such as the abolition of the ORF budget levy, which the FPÖ wants, the Sky Shield missile defense system and a common line on European policy.