The ongoing tension following the far-right FPÖ party’s election victory has delayed government formation talks in Austria. The center-right and the social democrats sat at the table today. Prime Minister Nehammer said the talks would be based on seriousness and dialogue.
Following the general elections in Austria on September 29 that resulted in the victory of the far-right party, tensions continue over the authority to form a government.
The president gave the authority to the center-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) rather than the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), which won the election.
The ÖVP and the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) sat at the negotiating table approximately one month late.
Prime Minister and Chairman of the ÖVP, which was the second party in the election, Karl Nehammer, made statements regarding the coalition talks that started with the SPÖ today. Nehammer said that delegations from the two parties had come together and that the talks would be based on seriousness and dialogue. Nehammer touched on criticisms of President Alexander Van der Bellen for giving the authority to form a government to his own party instead of the FPÖ, which came first in the elections. He stated that no one wanted to form a government with FPÖ Chairman Herbert Kickl, and naturally the far-right politician was not successful in convincing his interlocutors regarding the coalition talks. RACIST GROUPS ARE PREPARING FOR A DEMONSTRATION
Nehammer stated that they would take into account the voters who did not vote for them in the coalition talks that started approximately one month after the election, and emphasized that they would act solution-oriented and would not allow extremist formations to gain power. He also reacted to the statements made by some racist and far-right formations that reacted to the far-right party not being given the authority to form a government, that they would organize a demonstration on November 9.
He drew attention to the fact that a commemoration program was organized for those who lost their lives in the violence that the Nazis inflicted on Jewish workplaces, homes, institutions and organizations in Germany on November 9, 1938, known as the “Kristal Gecesi (November Pogrom)”. The leaders of the two political parties are expected to make statements after the first meeting between the delegations.
