After the collapse of coalition talks between the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), the CDU’s General Secretary, Carsten Linnemann, has spoken out against such alliances.
“When one sees that with such people, no state can be built, that’s the reality” Linnemann told the Bavarian media group’s newspapers (Thursday editions). “That’s why we are convinced: politics must solve the problems of the people, or the fringes will grow stronger” he added.
In Austria, the coalition talks between the FPÖ and the ÖVP broke down on Wednesday. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl informed Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen that the coalition talks with the ÖVP had failed, the FPÖ announced. As a consequence, Kickl returned the government formation mandate he had received earlier. The uncertainty surrounding the search for a new government in the Alpine republic remained for the time being.
Kickl had received the mandate to form a government on January 1, after previous coalition talks between the ÖVP and the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) and the NEOS had failed. In the National Council election at the end of September, the FPÖ had become the strongest party for the first time, with 28% of the vote, followed by the ÖVP with 26% and the SPÖ with 21%.