Turn in Austria: Van der Bellen commissioned FPÖ boss with coalition talks!

Turn in Austria: Van der Bellen commissioned FPÖ boss with coalition talks!

Hofburg, 1010 Wien, Österreich - On January 7, 2025, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen placed the order to form a coalition government to the FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl. This follows the failed attempts to install a center-left coalition and marks a dramatic change of course by the President, who had sharply criticized the FPÖ in the past. The FPÖ, which had won the last election with 29% of the votes, will now negotiate with the conservative ÖVP about a possible government formation after the talks have failed under the former Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who had announced his resignation due to these setbacks, as cnn reported .

The new situation could pave the way for the first time since it was founded in the 1950s. After the meeting with Van der Bellen, Kickl only expressed, "now the Federal President is on the move". However, van der Bellen pointed out that in view of the results of the elections and the current economic challenges, respect for the voter order is required. The President emphasized that he would continue to pay attention to compliance with the constitution and the basic principles of democracy. In the midst of this political turbulence, numerous people, including Jewish students and left -wing activists, protested against the possible government formation among Kickl and chanted slogans such as "Nazis", reported Today.at .

The designated ÖVP boss Christian Stocker has meanwhile announced that his party will take part in the coalition talks after the red lines no longer exist. Both parties seem to have similar views in several questions, especially in the immigration policy. However, if an agreement is not made, a new election could threaten. The current opinion survey shows that the FPÖ has gained popularity since September. Van der Bellen, however, remains vigilant to ensure that humanitarian rights and democratic principles are still respected.