Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has invited the leader of the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), Herbert Kickl, to form a government after attempts to establish a centrist coalition collapsed over the weekend.

Speaking at the Hofburg Palace on Monday, Van der Bellen said the decision had not been made lightly.

“However, it is still my constitutional duty to explore the possibility of a government with more than 50%,” he said. “Kickl believes he is capable of finding solutions within the framework of government negotiations and is willing to take responsibility.”

“I will ensure that the principles and rules of the constitution are properly adhered to,” the president added.

The FPÖ, known for its anti-immigration rhetoric, anti-Semitism and ties to Russia, had been sidelined during coalition talks despite securing a historic 29% of the vote in September’s parliamentary elections.

Instead, Van der Bellen initially tasked the incumbent chancellor and leader of the second-placed People’s Party (ÖVP), Karl Nehammer, with forming a government, as all other parties had ruled out joining a coalition with the FPÖ. However, Nehammer’s negotiations with the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the liberal NEOS party fell apart. NEOS withdrew from discussions on Friday, and shortly afterwards, Nehammer announced his resignation as both ÖVP leader and chancellor.

As he accepted Nehammer’s resignation, Van der Bellen remarked that “the voices within the ÖVP opposed to collaborating with Kickl have become quieter.”

Potential FPÖ-ÖVP Coalition

The FPÖ is now expected to approach the ÖVP, which is currently under interim leadership from its General Secretary Christian Stocker, to join as a junior partner in an FPÖ-led government. Stocker, who had previously criticised Kickl, has already indicated his willingness to engage in coalition talks with the FPÖ. If successful, this would mark the first time Austria has been governed by the FPÖ since its founding after the Second World War by former Nazis.

In its election campaign, the FPÖ called for the creation of a ‘Fortress Austria’ – policies designed to prioritise Austrians, curb immigration and boost the economy. In speeches, Kickl said he wanted to be a ‘Volkskanzler,’ or People’s Chancellor, a term used by Nazi propaganda in the 1930s to describe Adolf Hitler.

In the meantime, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Hofburg, protesting Kickl’s potential candidacy for chancellor and chanting “Nazis out.”

‘New Situation’

Following Nehammer’s resignation, Van der Bellen announced that he would appoint an interim successor “in the course of the coming week.”

The president also reaffirmed his commitment to uphold the fundamental pillars of Austrian democracy — including the rule of law, separation of powers, free and independent media and EU membership — “to the best of my knowledge and conscience.”

Reacting to the collapse of ÖVP-led coalition talks, Van der Bellen expressed surprise. “For a long time, it seemed there was a solid basis for an agreement. Even after NEOS pulled out, I was told that an agreement was still possible.” The failure, he said, was “a great disappointment for many,” and, “as you all know, it was not my wish.”

Once again, Van der Bellen sought to remain calm in a difficult situation: “If there’s one thing I have learned in my time as President of the Republic of Austria, it’s that there are always new situations.” He also took a moment to thank Nehammer for his services to the country, saying that “these have certainly not been easy times.”

Outrage from Green Party Leader

Green party leader Werner Kogler, currently Vice Chancellor in the outgoing ÖVP-Greens coalition, reacted with outrage at the anticipated FPÖ-ÖVP coalition. “The current political developments in Austria are a sequence of unbelievable irresponsibilities,” he said in a statement. “In the end, it amounts to a gigantic betrayal of voters. The same ÖVP that rightly labelled Herbert Kickl as a security risk and fought to prevent him from becoming chancellor is now willing to back Kickl’s candidacy for the sake of retaining power.” He also said he held the SPÖ and NEOS responsible for “this farce.”

Earlier, SPÖ leader Andreas Babler had blamed the ÖVP and NEOS for the collapse of talks. NEOS, however, rejected this, accusing Babler of deliberately blocking negotiations.

Civil Society Response

A potential FPÖ-led government has also prompted a response from civil society. The organisations Volkshilfe, Greenpeace and SOS Mitmensch have called for a “loud protest” outside the Federal Chancellery on Thursday evening. “Our republic stands at a crossroads. We face the threat of a far-right chancellor, along with an assault on democracy, human rights, the judiciary, independent media and social cohesion in our country,” the protest invitation reads.