Austria’s conservative Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, has announced his resignation after coalition talks to form a government, excluding the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), broke down. His surprise departure could lead to snap elections in the Alpine EU nation, or potentially a new negotiation with the FPO, which won the national elections in September, reports Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung.
Nehammer said on Saturday that he would step down “in the coming days” from both his role as chancellor and as chairman of the People's Party (OVP), ensuring a smooth transition. The announcement follows the liberal party’s withdrawal from three-party coalition talks aimed at forming a centrist government.
The negotiations, which sought to sideline the FPO—who led the September elections with 29% of the vote—ended after Nehammer ruled out a partnership with Eurosceptic FPO leader Herbert Kickl.
The collapse of the talks three months after the election highlights the growing challenge of forming stable governments in Europe, as the far-right gains momentum, yet many parties refuse to align with them.
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen had tasked Nehammer with forming a government after the FPO failed to find a coalition partner. With Nehammer stepping down, Kickl may now be called upon to form a government, or snap elections could be triggered. Nehammer has previously criticized Kickl’s leadership, calling him a conspiracy theorist, though he acknowledged that much of the FPO is trustworthy.
The far-right FPO, polling at 35%, has been in government as a junior partner in the past. Nehammer, whose People's Party secured 26% in September, had hoped to act as a political centrist, building “a bulwark against radicals.” Yet, with coalition talks failing over disagreements on wealth and inheritance taxes, pensions, and the country’s budget deficit, the political landscape in Austria remains uncertain.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
