Austria’s centrist parties asked to form a government to exclude the far-right
Thousands of people demonstrated in Vienna against the far-right FPÖ party
Austria’s conservatives and Social Democrats in coalition talks. A third partner may be required
October 2024: The two runners-up of Austria’s general election of 29 September 2024 have been tasked by the country’s federal president to form a government. President Alexander van der Bellen has asked the leader of the centre-right ÖVP (Austrian Peoples Party) to begin negotiations with the centre-left SPÖ (Social Democrats). At this stage, it is not quite clear whether the two parties have enough seats for a parliamentary majority. They may need to find a third partner, with the liberal NEOS or the Greens under consideration.
President van der Bellen’s approach is unusual, as the ÖVP was only the second-strongest party in the parliamentary elections at the end of September. The right-wing populist FPÖ (Austrian Freedom Party) emerged as the winner, but all parties rejected it as a government partner. The President, who plays a central role in the formation of the government, did, therefore, not automatically ask the party with the most votes to form the government, as is usually the case.
The SPÖ, the NEOS, and the Greens all reject cooperation with the FPÖ in principle, while the ÖVP had previously ruled out a coalition led by FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl.
Before asking the ÖVP to form a government, the Austrian President called on the leaders of the three largest parties to sound out possible coalitions among themselves. After the talks, both the ÖVP and SPÖ declared that they would maintain their negative stance towards the FPÖ. Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) categorially rejected a coalition with the FPÖ. “I will not be a stirrup holder for the far-right Herbert Kickl.”
Austrian right-wing party celebrates election win, but forming a government will be difficult
October 2024: Right-wing parties are on the rise in Europe. Following the successes of Italy's Brothers of Italy, the Rassemblement National in France and the AfD (Alternative for Germany) in eastern Germany, the majority of Austrian voters cast their ballots for the right-wing populist FPÖ. This is the first time since the Second World War that a right-wing party has become the strongest force in an Alpine republic.
During the election campaign, Herbert Kickl, the FPÖ's candidate for Chancellor, blamed immigrants for all the ills in the country. He claimed that without immigrants, there would be no drug dealing, no rape and no terrorism in the country. However, he did not mention that the worst case of incest in Europe in modern times occurred in Austria. It was an Austrian, Josef Fritzl, who held his daughter captive in the cellar of the family home for 24 years and raped her regularly. She gave birth to seven children.
Austria’s political parties after the 2024 general election
FPÖ (Freedom Party of Austria) right-wing, 29.2% (58 seats)
ÖVP (Austrian People’s Party) conservative, 26.5% (52 seats)
SPÖ (Social Democratic Party of Austria) centre-left, 21.0% (41 seats)
NEOS (The New Austrian and Liberal Forum) liberal, 9.0% (17 seats)
Die Grünen (The Greens) Environmental, 8.0% (15 seats)
KPÖ (Communist Party of Austria) left-wing, 2.3% (No seats)
92 seats required for a parliamentary majority
Although Herbert Kickl announced his claim to the chancellorship immediately after the election, it is unlikely that he will find coalition partners. The current Austrian Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, has categorically ruled out serving in a government led by Kickl. According to their statements, all other parties represented in the Austrian parliament are not available as coalition partners for the FPÖ.
A cooperation of the ÖVP without the FPÖ chairman is considered conceivable, although it is unlikely that Kickl will withdraw after his election triumph. During the election campaign, the FPÖ team named Kickl Volkskanzler (people’s chancellor), a term first used by the Nazis to describe Adolf Hitler.
The current governing coalition between the ÖVP and the Greens no longer has a parliamentary majority after the election. A coalition between the ÖVP and the centre-left SPÖ would be possible, although, in terms of content, the ÖVP has more in common with the FPÖ than with the Social Democrats. An ÖVP / SPÖ coalition would only have a narrow majority of one vote. Although there has never been a three-party coalition in Austria, a government of the ÖVP, the SPÖ and the Liberals (NEOS) would be plausible.
The current ÖVP-Greens coalition will offer its resignation, Austria's Federal President Alexander van der Bellen will accept it - and at the same time ask the previous Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer to continue business with his old government until a new chancellor majority has been found in the National Council (Nationalrat), the Austrian parliament. In other words, a new ‘viable’ coalition, according to the Federal President.
The Federal President added that a new Chancellor must have his confidence. “He must respect the cornerstones of our liberal democracy: The rule of law, separation of powers, human and minority rights, independent media and EU membership.”
Representatives of European far-right parties expressed their delight at the FPÖ's election victory. The leader of the right-wing Rassemblement National in France, Jordan Bardella, wrote: ‘It fills us with great pride to sit in the European Parliament alongside our allies from the FPÖ, who won by a large margin in the parliamentary elections in Austria this evening. A government formed by the FPÖ will prioritise “the sovereignty, prosperity and identity of their country”. His party colleague Marine Le Pen added: “After the elections in Italy, the Netherlands and France, this upsurge, which involves the defence of national interests, the preservation of identities and the revival of sovereignty, confirms the triumph of the peoples everywhere.”
Geert Wilders from the radical right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands also reacted: “Congratulations FPÖ”, Wilders wrote on X. In another post, he expressed his delight at the rise of right-wing parties in Europe. “We are winning! Times are changing,’ wrote the Dutch politician. “Identity, sovereignty, freedom and no more illegal immigration/asylum - that's what millions of Europeans are longing for!”
On other pages: European election 2024 | Alternative for Germany (AfD) in eastern Germany | Descendants of German resistance fighters appeal to their fellow citizens to reject the New Right | German campaign against the far-right | Extremist politics at the root of anti-Semitism
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