The Austrian Far-Right’s Kickl Has a Foot in the Door That Leads to a Leading Nation

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(Bloomberg) — More than three months after winning the most seats at federal elections, far-right leader Herbert Kickl is on track to become the Freedom Party’s first Austrian chancellor in a tie-up with the conservative People’s Party.

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Kickl, 56, is set to meet President Alexander Van der Bellen at 11 a.m. in Vienna on Monday to discuss forming a government. In an about-face, the conservatives said on Sunday they’re ready to start talking. 

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Kickl’s government will be the first to be led by a far-right party after the Second World War in Austria. The People’s Party has for decades sought to prevent it by forming alliances with the Social Democrats and other parties, or by inviting its members to participate as junior partners.

In this case, the Conservatives were forced to withdraw, which shocked the Austrian political establishment. The Freedom Party won 57 seats in Austria’s September election, up 26 from 2019, compared to 51 for the People’s Party, losing 20.

Meanwhile, other parties in Austria are trying to close positions to keep the Freedom Party out of government – “a strategy to prevent Kickl,” according to a party leader. However, Karl Nehammer, chancellor from late 2021, resigned on Saturday after failing to form a coalition with the Social Democrats and the liberal NEOS. His interim successor, Party Secretary Christian Stocker, quickly announced that he was ready to discuss a coalition with the Freedom Party.

The change in position was an acknowledgment of the party’s public support, and Nehammer’s failure to attract voters following the fall of political hero Sebastian Kurz. Powerful state leaders and a group of industrialists also strove to align with the far right.

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“Since yesterday, the situation looks different,” said Stocker, until recently a staunch critic of the Freedom Party, on Sunday. “This country needs a stable government right now and we will not continue to waste time in election campaigns.”

The chances of a Freedom Party-People’s Party coalition are very high, but it is not a foregone conclusion, said Marcus How, a country risk analyst at VE Insight in Vienna.

“Kickl holds a lot of cards, so he can be maximalist in his negotiating position,” Howe said. “If the negotiations do not succeed, he can simply withdraw and fight the elections, which shows that it will bring great benefits” to the Freedom Party.

Kickl has created a rift in the nation of about 9 million, polling as one of the most unpopular politicians while at the same time leading his party to victory. In the past, she has publicly referred to Van der Bellen, 80, as an “old mother.” When he served as interior minister, some foreign intelligence agencies stopped sharing information because of their lack of trust.

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The Freedom Party campaigned on a pro-Russian, anti-immigrant and climate skeptic platform. Kickl also strongly opposed the vaccination mandate during the violence, and supported far-right activists advocating for the deportation of immigrants.

In Europe, it will bring another populist leader to power as Donald Trump prepares to take over the US presidency, Germany prepares for elections in February with a rising right wing, and France faces political turmoil. Kickl also vowed to work with Viktor Orban, the often-controversial prime minister of neighboring Hungary.

To become chancellor, Kickl will need to align his political views with the Conservatives, who continue to hold powerful positions across Austria’s economy and society.

Austria’s new leaders also need to address tough conditions for the country’s industrial producers following years of high wage growth and rising energy prices hurting competition. And after two years of economic stagnation, Austria will also need to approve billions of euros in budget consolidation measures to avoid European Union fines.

In a statement on Sunday, Kickl said his mission will focus on an accessible life, realizing personal success, justice, security and peace, as well as the protection of the country, freedom, and giving a good impression to future generations.

“We are not to blame for the waste of time, chaotic situations and the massive breakdown of trust,” Kickl said Sunday on Facebook. “Apparently, the Freedom Party was the only stable point in Austrian politics.”

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