The conservative party ruling Austria called an emergency session on Sunday to select a successor to Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who resigned unexpectedly Saturday. Nehammer’s resignation came after coalition talks failed to build a government that did not include the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) after the latter won the most votes in last September’s parliamentary election.
The collapse of talks, which had been aimed at forming a centrist coalition, has left President Alexander Van der Bellen with few options. The most likely scenarios include a snap election or an unexpected shift in which FPO leader Herbert Kickl is tasked with forming a government. With the far-right FPO still on the rise, both those options seem likely, although some members of the People’s Party, or OVP, are working against a snap election due to the long delay in forming a new government.
Markus Wallner, the governor of Vorarlberg, attended the leadership meeting and complained about the political crisis. “It is not an easy situation,” Wallner said, speaking in favor of quick resolution, as he cautioned against the national instability. The governors in the leadership of OVP are also anxious over the delays and their influence on Austria’s political future.
Nehammer had repeatedly declared during the election campaign that he would not cooperate with Kickl because of his scandalous views and conspiracy theories. However, Nehammer’s resignation opens the possibility that his successor may be more willing to form a coalition with the FPO, which has gained in strength. The FPO, which won around 29% of the vote in September, now leads polls by over 10 percentage points over both OVP and the Social Democrats.
The FPO’s message is clear: “Austria needs a Chancellor Kickl now,” with the party pushing for Kickl to take over leadership. As coalition talks falter, Austria faces an uncertain political future with shifting alliances.
