Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen gave no clear indication on Wednesday as to whether he would invite Herbert Kickl, leader of the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), to form a government following the party’s success in Sunday’s parliamentary elections.
Traditionally, the head of state asks the leader of the winning party to form the government, although this is not stated in the constitution. Van der Bellen had earlier hinted that he might not automatically give Kickl the job, even if the FPÖ won.
Following the elections, Van der Bellen formally relieved the current government – a coalition of the People’s Party (ÖVP) and the Green Party – of its duties, while also entrusting it with overseeing day-to-day administrative responsibilities until a new government is formed.
Starting on Friday, the President will begin talks with the leaders of the five parties that made it into parliament: the FPÖ, ÖVP, Social Democrats (SPÖ), NEOS, and Greens. “I will approach this with the necessary calm and depth,” Van der Bellen emphasised during a ceremony in at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna.
Van der Bellen underlined the importance of upholding the pillars of liberal democracy – the rule of law, separation of powers, human and minority rights, independent media, and EU membership – during the process of forming the next government.
He also expressed his gratitude to the outgoing government for its work during what he described as “very turbulent years”, citing the pandemic, terrorism, war, inflation, this summer’s heatwave, and the recent floods: “There were certainly easier tasks and definitely easier legislative periods.”
The President noted that with the election campaign and its associated disputes now behind them, it was time to seek compromises and find joint solutions to the key issues facing the country. He specifically highlighted inflation, pensions, the business environment, the climate crisis, equal opportunities for men and women, healthcare, and addressing migration and integration in a “constructive and solution-oriented manner”. Van der Bellen also stressed the importance of education playing a “constructive role” within the EU.
