Pro-Russian Politician to Form Government in Austria After Chancellor Resigns
Austrian Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl has been given the opportunity to become the new chancellor and form a government. This morning, he met with President Alexander Van der Bellen in Vienna, who instructed him to create a new government team amid the failure of coalition talks between the main political forces, Politico reports.
After the meeting, Van der Bellen said that Kickl ‘has the confidence to find effective solutions’. The President also said that he had instructed him to start a dialogue with the Austrian People's Party to intensify negotiations on government formation.
On Saturday, Conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer resigned, explaining that he was unable to reach an agreement with the Social Democratic Party. On Sunday, the new leader of the Austrian People's Party said that his political force would not reject talks with the Freedom Party.
The Freedom Party won last year's elections. The party has a tough anti-immigration policy and is friendly to Russia. It was founded by a former Nazi in 1956. Despite winning elections to the National Assembly, it failed to form a government because other parties rejected the possibility of cooperation. But this position is now softening.
Far-right leader Herbert Kickl is a close ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Kickl is opposed to funding support for Ukraine's defence. He has also criticised the sanctions imposed on Russia and believes that the United States and NATO are primarily responsible for the war. The politician emphasises that under his rule, Austria will remain strictly neutral. His opponents accuse Kickl of sympathising with the Kremlin and call him a pro-Kremlin politician.
The Austrian Freedom Party supports a tough migration policy, promising to stop accepting asylum applications.