Coalition talks between FPÖ and ÖVP: Kickl's historical opportunity

Coalition talks between FPÖ and ÖVP: Kickl's historical opportunity

in Austria Signs of the takeover of power by the Freedom Party (FPÖ): At the weekend, ÖVP state captain Thomas Stelzer declared urgency for a stable government. FPÖ boss Manfred Haimbuchner made it clear that you would go well prepared in the coalition negotiations with the conservative ÖVP and have already had a clear timetable from the time when Karl Nehammer was at the top. The negotiations are crucial because Austria's political landscape was destabilized by the elections in September 2024. The FPÖ won the majority with 29 percent of the votes. As can be seen from information from Comee-on.de , Herbert Kickl may be the first FPÖ Chancellor in the history of the country.

Central topics of the coalition talks

The crucial questions between FPÖ and ÖVP are not only about financial aspects and the budget, but also about basic political attitudes. Political scientist Peter Filzmaier denied that the FPÖ is behind the EU engagement of the ÖVP and pointed out the negative attitude of the FPÖ towards EU sanctions against Russia. Topics such as migration policy and attitude to Ukraine are also on the agenda. Nevertheless, political tensions between the ÖVP and the FPÖ do not seem to deter us because they are working on a coalition that could assume the next government of Austria, which is considered a dramatic rethink within the political party landscape.

factors that can burden the talks are the public perception of the FPÖ and their roots in the extreme right, which have often been ignored by the ÖVP in the past. The history of the FPÖ, which was founded by Altnazis, could prove to be braking, because in previous coalitions the handling of the ÖVP was not very critical with these topics. This is partly regarded by the liberal daily newspaper Standard as a possible hurdle. The FPÖ could further expand its influence and gain deeper control over the Austrian government, while the ÖVP acts in a weaker position as a junior partner.