FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl informed Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen in person at the Hofburg on Friday that he intends to lead the next government as Federal Chancellor. “It was a pleasant and open conversation,” Kickl told journalists on Saturday. During coalition talks, he repeated that the FPÖ’s hand is extended. No questions were allowed in the press statement.
On Friday, Kickl was the first party leader to meet with the Federal President following the National Council election. He informed Van der Bellen that the FPÖ was the only major election winner, Kickl said. He also told Van der Bellen that he considers a “coalition of losers” against the FPÖ a “fatal signal” to voters. A firewall against democratic parties, he added, is a “barrier against democracy itself,” which cannot exist without pluralism. He stated that he had communicated openly with Van der Bellen on Friday, as always, despite their “often differing opinions.” Notably, Kickl has previously referred to the Federal President as “old” and a “mummy.”
Van der Bellen will address the public after meeting with all party leaders, Kickl said, adding that “now it is his move.” The question remains unanswered whether the Federal President will entrust the FPÖ leader with the mandate to form a government, which usually goes to the party leader with the most votes. In the past, Van der Bellen had indicated that he would not automatically grant Kickl the mandate in the event of an FPÖ election victory.
“Our hand is extended,” Kickl said to political competitors willing to enter a coalition. He is looking for a partner with whom there can be stable cooperation and the greatest possible thematic agreement. Stability, he said, is achievable in a government of two parties with a clear parliamentary majority. He did not name a specific party, but the largest common ground is likely with the ÖVP. However, ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer has ruled out a government coalition with Kickl.
Nehammer, though not mentioned by name, also faced criticism. Kickl described the behavior of leading politicians from other parties after the election as “ominous and undemocratic power antics.” Despite dramatic losses, these leaders either celebrated themselves or blamed “ungrateful voters” for their defeat.
Kickl described the FPÖ as a fresh patriotic force that would bring the population confidence, security, and opportunities. A government led by the FPÖ would consider itself a “tool of the people.” The FPÖ wants to tackle the problems facing Austria, such as the recession, the “unsolved problem of illegal immigration,” a “cascade of violence,” and a struggling healthcare and social care system.