Negotiations to form Austria's first coalition government led by the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) collapsed on Wednesday, just days after talks between the FPO and the conservative People's Party (OVP) stalled, with both sides blaming each other.
The Eurosceptic and pro-Russian FPO was trying to lead an Austrian government for the first time since it was founded in the 1950s under the leadership of a prominent former Nazi.
The FPO won first place in parliamentary elections in September with around 29 percent of the vote, but was only given the mandate to form a government last month after a centrist bloc failed to do so without it. The OVP was its only possible coalition partner.
"Just now, FPO leader Herbert Kickl informed President Alexander Van der Bellen that coalition negotiations with the OVP have failed," the FPO said in a statement immediately after Kickl's meeting with the president in his office.
The decision now lies in Van der Bellen's hands. Most likely, there will be a renewed attempt by the centrist bloc to form a government or Austria will head towards early elections, with polls suggesting the FPO could further increase its lead over other parties.
"The only fair solution is to hold new elections quickly," FPO co-vice president Christian Hafeneker said in a brief statement to the media.
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Dispute over the claim
The FPO initially planned to reach a quick agreement, as it agrees with the OVP on many issues, especially when it comes to a stricter policy towards migrants. However, relations deteriorated when it became clear that the FPO was making numerous demands that were difficult or impossible for the OVP to accept.
A leaked 223-page negotiation document revealed that the FPO sought to exempt Austria from EU sanctions against Russia, challenge the supremacy of EU court rulings, and pay compensation to people who they claim were “harmed” by policies against the coronavirus pandemic during the time the government was led by the OVP.
A missed opportunity
The two parties also clashed over the division of ministries – the FPO insisted that, despite winning the election by only 2,5 percentage points more than the OVP, it should control the interior ministry, the finance ministry and the chancellorship.
"Unfortunately, Herbert Kickl failed to transform himself from opposition leader to head of government," said OVP leader Kristian Stoker. "The Freedom Party had the opportunity to appoint the chancellor of Austria. But Herbert Kickl did not take advantage of it."
The OVP also accused the FPO of failing to meet key demands set from the beginning of the negotiations, such as keeping Austria free from Russian influence, respecting the rule of law, and being reliable within the EU.
On the other hand, the FPO accused the OVP of wanting to resolve the issue of the division of ministries before an agreement on policy was reached.
Analysts believe that it remains to be seen whether the FPO overdid its demands and thereby missed its chance for power, or whether it will emerge from the early elections even stronger.
Stoker announced that the OVP will now consider the possibility of a coalition with the Social Democrats and the liberal Neos party, with whom it had previously tried to form a government.
Political analyst Lore Hajek from the University of Innsbruck believes that Kickl's firm position deterred some of the OVP members who were ready to cooperate, and that his move likely eliminated the FPO from the coalition for forming a government for at least the next year.
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