Austria's Far-Right Refused Coalition Government After Election Victory

Leader of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party, Herbert Kickl, refused the chance to form a coalition government after winning parliamentary elections in September. (Free Malaysia Today)

Karl Nehammer, leader of the conservative People’s Party (OVP) and current Chancellor of Austria, received the mandate to form a coalition government following September's elections. Alexander Van de Bellen, the current president, skipped over giving the mandate to the far-right Freedom Party, who won the elections, after every other party refused to form a coalition government with them at the head, according to BBC.

Austria held parliamentary elections on September 29, and the FPO won almost 29 percent of the vote, BBC reported. OVP, who is currently in power, earned about 26 percent of the vote, and the Social Democrats (SPO) came in third with about 21 percent. 

The Freedom Party capitalized on many hot topic issues such as immigration, inflation, and the war in Ukraine to pull in voters for the election, reported CNN. FPO titled their election program “Fortress Austria” and called for the “remigration of uninvited foreigners” through tightening border policies and suspending the right to asylum with an emergency law. FPO is known for their sympathetic stance toward Russia, having called for the end of sanctions against the country. 

Kickl was the former interior minister and head of the Freedom Party since 2021, according to CNN. His victory in the last election gave him the chance to gain the position of Chancellor of Austria. However, all other parties in Austria refused to join a coalition government with FPO. Kickl is a highly controversial figure, according to the Guardian, who campaigned on a slogan to become the “Volkskanzler” (people’s chancellor), a title once used by Adolf Hitler, according to the Guardian. The FPO was founded in the 1950s by former Nazis. 

Kickl’s best chance of forming a coalition would have been with OVP, however Nehammer has refused to join a coalition with FPO at the head, according to the Guardian. Before the election, Nehammer called Kickl a “security risk” for the country, wrote CNN, and said he would never join a coalition with Kickl in charge. Nehammer has stuck by that statement following the election. Kickl argued that FPO would not be a part of any coalition government without being at the head of it, making it unlikely that the two will work together. 

President Van der Bellen, who oversees the formation of government, met with the leaders of the three parties who received the most votes after the elections, according to Reuters. Van der Bellen stated that “Austria needs a stable government with integrity that is able to act,” reported BBC. After meeting with the party leaders, Van der Bellen determined that it would not be possible for Kickl to be able to form a coalition government with any other party to receive a majority, reported Politico. So, he gave the mandate to OVP, who received the next largest percentage of the votes. OVP is likely to form a coalition government with SPO, however they will only have a one-seat majority in parliament. They will need to also have one of the smaller parties, either the liberal NEOS party or the Greens, join the coalition as well.

Kickl claimed that the formation of a “coalition of losers” which excluded the FPO is undemocratic, according to Al Jazeera. He wrote on Facebook that the President was breaking with the “tried and tested normal processes” by skipping over the winner of the election for forming the government, reported BBC. He continued, saying that “this might seem like a slap in the face for many of you.” He added, “But I promise you: the last word has not been spoken. Today is not the end of the story.” 

Austria has not had a three-party coalition since their independence in 1955, according to Al Jazeera. Neighboring Germany is currently governed by its first three-party coalition under Olaf Scholz and is considered to be under strain, reports Reuters, which does not bode well for Austria’s future. 

Nehammer has said that he wants a government that is backed by a “broad parliamentary majority,” according to the Guardian. He stated on X that “Politics can only win back trust when we act responsibly and keep our word. The electoral result is certainly not a mandate for ‘business as usual’. Our country needs change and reforms to deal well with the future.” Austria’s next chancellor is expected to be named by January.