The leader of the right-wing, pro-Russian FPO Herbert Kickl was given the task of forming a new government in Austria. According to Jakub Belamovic of the New Europe Institute, this means “a significant risk of a course correction in Austrian foreign policy”. The analyst also noted that Kickle was inspired by Viktor Orbán.
On Monday, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen entrusted the task of forming a new government to Herbert Kickl, leader of the far-right, Eurosceptic, anti-immigration, pro-Russia Free Austria (FPOe) party. He did so after coalition talks led by former Austrian People’s Party (OeVP) leader Karl Nehhammer failed.
At the press conference, the president explained that new situations have occurred in the political arena of Austria, which made it possible to appoint the leader of the liberation movement to the position of chancellor.
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A strong position in negotiations
Jakub Belamovic has the same opinion and explains that “due to the resignation of the chancellor and head of the OeVP, Carl Nehammer, a real possibility of forming a coalition government of the FPOe-OeVP was opened.” The analyst recalled that “it was Nehammer who was the most ardent opponent of raising the ‘extremist’ Kikel to the post of chancellor”.
He noted that after Nehhammer’s resignation, Christian Stocker, the deputy mayor of Wiener Neustadt, who is considered a secondary person and is characterized by a pragmatic approach to political duties, became the temporary head of the OeVP Christian Democrats. Stoker himself announced on Sunday that if his party is invited to the coalition talks, the People’s Party will participate in these talks.
– It should be said that the FPO’s negotiating position will be very strong, – Belamovich emphasized, pointing to the record rating of the freedom fighters. According to the latest polls, they are 6-8% more than what they got in the September elections. – Kickl and FPOe negotiators can always threaten their readiness to participate in early elections, after which their position as a major partner of the coalition will be even stronger, – explained the analyst.
Herbert KicklPAP/EPA/MAX SLOVENCIK
Bad experiences from the past
He pointed to concerns about a possible OeVP-FPOe cabinet. – The experience so far with the “black and blue” coalition of these parties in 2000-2007 and 2017-2019 is very bad. These governments were accompanied by significant instability, numerous corruption scandals and bad personnel decisions, especially on behalf of the FPOe, Belamovic recalled.
He suggested that the libertarians, strengthened by the recent failure of the main parties (OeVP, SPOe and NEOS), could become even more radical after taking power. – The actions of this party aimed at weakening the rule of law cannot be excluded, especially because certain attempts were made in the ministries that were previously controlled by FPO politicians, – he emphasized.
Example of Budapest
Belamovic noted that the libertarian leader does not hide who his political role model is: – Herbert Kickl is inspired by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and openly admits it in public statements.
He also pointed to the threats caused by sympathy for Russia, the supporter of the possible new president. “There is a big risk of course correction in Austria’s foreign policy,” he said. He recalled that in 2016 the FPO signed a friendship agreement with Putin’s United Russia party and has consistently expressed its opposition to supporting Ukraine, which is fighting Russian aggression.
The analyst also noted that none other than the former head of Austrian diplomacy on behalf of FPO Karin Kneisl invited Vladimir Putin to his wedding. “After all, he fled to Russia, where he became a media propagandist for the local regime,” he noted.
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Despite this, Belamovich sees the light at the end of the tunnel. – The representative of the more moderate Christian-Democratic party, which takes over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, can have a certain mitigating effect on the foreign policy of the potential government with the participation of the FPO, – he predicts.
Talks are a fiasco
On Saturday, Chancellor Nehammer resigned from the position of the head of the government and the chairman of the conservative OeVP after the negotiations on the establishment of a government coalition without the FPO failed. Before that, the chancellor’s party tried for the last time to negotiate a coalition with the Social Democrats.
In parliamentary elections on September 29, FPO won with 28.8 percent. voices In second place were the previously ruling OeVP (26.3%), the SPOe (21.1%), the liberal NEOS (New Austria and Liberal Forum; 9.2%) and the Greens (8.3%).
Despite the victory of freedom, President Van der Bellen entrusted the task of establishing a new government to the current chancellor Nehammer. He made this decision with the fact that the Christian-Democratic and Social-Democratic parties definitely refused to join the government headed by the head of the FPO.
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/MAX SLOVENCIK
