Austrian President Urges Calm in Coalition Talks Following Far-Right Election Victory

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has called on all parties in the newly elected parliament to engage in constructive coalition talks following the far-right Freedom Party’s electoral success.

The Freedom Party achieved its first victory in the National Council, Austria’s lower house of parliament, securing 29.2 percent of the vote in the recent general election, as reported by the Xinhua news agency and Austrian broadcaster ORF.

Despite this historic win, the Freedom Party fell short of an absolute majority and will need to find a coalition partner to govern. However, all other parties had previously ruled out forming a coalition with them under their controversial leader, Herbert Kickl.

The outgoing conservative People’s Party, which led the previous government, experienced a drop in support from 37.5 percent in 2019 to 26.5 percent in this election. Meanwhile, its coalition partner, the Greens, also saw a decline, receiving only 8 percent of the vote, down from 13.9 percent in the last election.

“The election campaign is over. The confrontation is over. Now compromises must be found,” Van der Bellen stated on Wednesday while accepting the outgoing government’s resignation, instructing them to continue in a caretaker role until a new coalition is established.

The President indicated he would meet with the leaders of all five parties in the new parliament, emphasizing the need for calm and thorough discussions. “Now it’s about talking to each other and finding a viable majority,” he added.

Van der Bellen did not disclose on Wednesday whether he would appoint Kickl to lead the formation of a new government. Although it is customary for Austria’s President to task the winning party with this responsibility, it is not mandated by the constitution.