Austrian President Tasks FPÖ Leader with Forming Government
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has officially entrusted FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl with the task of forming a government, following a meeting at the Hofburg in Vienna on Monday.
The FPÖ emerged as the strongest party in the September parliamentary election, securing nearly 29% of the vote.
Initially, other parties, including the ÖVP, had ruled out cooperation with the FPÖ. However, after the failure of negotiations between the ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS, the ÖVP has changed its stance and now signals a willingness to engage in coalition talks with the FPÖ.
A government comprising the FPÖ and ÖVP is thus becoming increasingly likely. Kickl expressed satisfaction after his meeting with the President, describing the talks as “good”.