The far-right Freedom Party was blocked in Austria as on Tuesday Austria’s president asked incumbent Chancellor Karl Nehammer to form a new government.
All other parties refused to work with the leader of the Freedom Party after they won a national election for the first time last month.
The Freedom Party capitalized on public concerns over immigration, inflation, and the ongoing war in Ukraine to achieve its best-ever electoral result.
The Freedom Party finished first in the election with 28.8 percent of the vote, ahead of Nehammer’s party, which took 26.3 percent.
Andreea Alexandru/AP
The head of state normally asks the leader of the strongest party to form a government, but the September 29 parliamentary election produced a stalemate.
The leader of the new government will need to build a coalition to have a parliamentary majority.
Nehammer’s conservative Austrian People’s Party has said it wouldn’t work with the Freedom Party under its leader, Herbert Kickl, and the other three parties in the new parliament said they would not work with the Freedom Party under any circumstances.
Kickl said the Freedom Party would only go into government with him as chancellor.
In the election the center-left Social Democrats secured 21.1 percent of the vote, placing them third.
On October 9, President Alexander Van der Bellen asked the leaders of the three largest parties to explore potential cooperation.
As of Monday, the talks yielded no change in positions.
“This means clearly and unambiguously — confirmed repeatedly, with a reflection period and with extra talks — that Herbert Kickl won’t find any coalition partner who will make him chancellor,” Van der Bellen said.
Van der Bellen asked Nehammer to lead negotiations to form a new government.
Nehammer’s People’s Party and the Social Democrats hold a slim majority in the new parliament, commanding a combined 92 of the 183 seats—a razor-thin margin widely seen as insufficient for stable governance.
Van der Bellen said there was a need for clarity on whether this slim majority could deliver a “stable government” or if a third partner would be necessary.
The liberal Neos party, which garnered 9.1 percent of the vote, appears to be the most viable option for joining a coalition.
Speaking to reporters, Nehammer expressed his commitment to establishing a stable administration.
“I will work hard for Austria to get a stable government supported by a broad majority in parliament.”
He identified key priorities as the economy, immigration, and integration, stressing that “our country needs change and reforms.”
“I can’t tell you today whether these talks and negotiations will actually lead to the formation of a government,” he said.
Kickl took to social media to express his frustration.
“The president’s decision may feel like a slap in the face for many of you. But I promise you: the last word has not yet been spoken,” he wrote on Instagram.
Austria currently faces no formal deadline to form a new government.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
