Representatives from the People’s Party (OVP) and the Social Democrats (SPO) were unable to agree on key issues after the liberal NEOS party withdrew from negotiations. In the September elections, the right-wing Freedom Party (FPO) garnered the most votes, but the other parties refused to cooperate with them. The current situation points toward new elections, which could benefit the FPO, given its growing popularity.
Political analyst Daniel Deak also weighed in on the developments, suggesting that the Hungarian prime minister's ally could soon form a government in Austria. The expert noted that Hungary's Peter Magyar appears to bring no "luck", as Chancellor Nehammer’s tenure ended in failure less than two months after his meeting with the opposition politician. He said:
The September election was won by Viktor Orban’s allies – the Freedom Party of Austria – but they could not form a government alone, leaving the losers to initiate coalition talks. These talks, however, failed, prompting Chancellor Karl Nehammer to announce his resignation. From this point, two possibilities arise: either the Austrian People’s Party reaches an agreement with the Freedom Party to form a government, or new elections are to be held, which – according to the polls – the Freedom Party would win with an even greater margin,
Mr. Deak explained. He emphasized that regardless of the outcome, one thing is certain: Viktor Orban’s allies will take power in Austria and provide the next Chancellor. Writing on social media, Mr. Deak highlighted that
according to polls, a repeated election would be in the Freedom Party’s best interest, as it might allow them to govern independently. Let’s hope that Peter Magyar brings similar ‘luck’ to France: in November, he met with Emmanuel Macron, and since then, the French government has already collapsed. Could Marine Le Pen soon replace Macron?
Herbert Kickl, the leader of the Freedom Party, deemed Mr. Nehammer’s resignation logical but overdue, blaming Andreas Babler of the SPO and President Alexander Van der Bellen for the failure to form a government. According to Mr. Kickl, these three politicians wasted months on fruitless coalition talks and are responsible for the ensuing chaos by actively obstructing the FPO’s path to government.
The Austrian Freedom Party is a member of the Patriots for Europe party alliance.
Cover photo: Herbert Kickl (Photo: AFP)
