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After Nehammer Resigns, Austrian President Asks Far-Right Leader Kickl to Form Government

Jan 6, 2025, 12:23 PM

Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen has tasked Herbert Kickl, leader of the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), with forming a new government after previous coalition talks collapsed. The decision follows the resignation of Chancellor Karl Nehammer and the failure of negotiations between the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ). Van der Bellen met with Kickl at 11 a.m. on Monday at the Hofburg palace and scheduled a statement for 1 p.m. During the meeting, he officially asked Kickl to initiate talks with the ÖVP aimed at establishing a governing coalition. Bernhard Stocker, the former ÖVP General Secretary, has become the new leader of the ÖVP. If successful, Kickl would become Austria's first FPÖ Chancellor since World War II. The President emphasized that he will "continue to make sure" that the rules of the Austrian constitution are respected during the government formation process. Meanwhile, protests have begun forming against a potential FPÖ-ÖVP coalition as Austria faces a political crisis.