Austria’s far-right Freedom Party has been given a mandate to try to form a new government, its first since World War II. The party, which won 28.8% of the vote in September’s parliamentary election, has been tasked with holding talks with the Austrian People’s Party, the conservative party led by outgoing Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
The Freedom Party’s leader, Herbert Kickl, was given this responsibility after Nehammer failed to form a government with other parties. Kickl and Van der Bellen met for about an hour at the presidential palace on Monday, where they discussed the possibility of forming a coalition government.
The Freedom Party has run Austria from 2017 to 2019 in a previous government, but it collapsed due to a scandal. The party’s current election program, “Fortress Austria,” calls for strict border control and an end to sanctions against Russia.
Austria faces significant economic challenges, including a persistent recession and rising unemployment. President Van der Bellen warned that the new government will face a difficult task in implementing measures that may not be popular with all Austrians.
Despite the challenges, Kickl remains confident of finding “viable solutions” in coalition talks. However, protesters gathered outside the presidential palace expressed concerns about the potential impact of a far-right government on democracy and human rights.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/austria-new-government-freedom-far-right-kickl-99beae619f784e24bc1ebf382d2b9e0c