Speculation grows that Austrian far-right head will be asked to form government

Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen has announced he is to meet far-right politician Herbert Kickl as speculation grows that he will ask the Freedom Party leader to form a government.

Mr van der Bellen made the announcement after meeting Chancellor Karl Nehammer and others at his presidential palace.

Mr Nehammer has announced his intention to resign after coalition talks between his conservative Austrian People’s Party and the centre-left Social Democrats collapsed.

The chancellor has ruled out working with Mr Kickl, but others in his party are less adamant. Earlier on Sunday, the People’s Party nominated its general secretary, Christian Stocker, as interim leader, but the president said Mr Nehammer would remain chancellor for now.

Mr van der Bellen said he had spent several hours talking to key officials and got the impression that “the voices within the People’s Party who exclude working with the Freedom Party under its leader Herbert Kickl have become quieter”.

The president said this development has “potentially opened a new path” which prompted him to invite Mr Kickl for a meeting on Monday morning.

The Freedom Party topped the polls in the autumn’s national election with 29.2% of the vote, but Mr van der Bellen tasked Mr Nehammer with putting together a new government because no other party was willing to work with Mr Kickl.

That decision drew heavy criticism from the Freedom Party and its supporters, with Mr Kickl saying it was “not right and not logical” that he did not get a mandate to form a government.

“We are not responsible for the wasted time, the chaotic situation and the enormous breach of trust that has emerged,” he said on Sunday afternoon on social media.

“On the contrary: It is clear that the Freedom Party has been and continues to be the only stable factor in Austrian politics.”

Mr Stocker addressed reporters on Sunday afternoon and confirmed he had been appointed “unanimously” by his party to serve as interim leader. “I am very honoured and happy,” he said.

He welcomed the decision by the president to meet Mr Kickl and said he expects the leader of the party that emerged as the clear winner from the last election would be tasked with forming a government.

“If we are invited to negotiations to form a government, we will accept this invitation,” Mr Stocker added.

He had previously criticised Mr Kickl, calling him a “security risk” for the country.

Austria was thrown into political turmoil on Friday after the liberal party NEOS pulled out of coalition talks with the the People’s Party and the Social Democrats.

On Saturday the two remaining parties, who have only a one-seat majority in parliament, made another attempt to form a government, but that also ended in failure after a few hours, with negotiators saying they were unable to agree on how to repair the budget deficit.