Austria's president to meet far-right leader amid coalition speculation [View all]

Source: Guardian

Austria’s president has said he will meet the leader of the country’s far-right Freedom party (FPÖ), amid speculation that the pro-Kremlin, anti-Islam party will be tasked with trying to form a government after centrist parties failed to find agreement.

The Alpine country of 9 million has been plunged into political crisis after the collapse of coalition talks aimed at keeping the far right out of government. On Sunday it appeared the FPÖ – narrowly the most voted-for party in September’s parliamentary elections – would be most likely to benefit from the turmoil.

It would be a turn of fortune for the party, which had seemed poised to be kept out of power after the mainstream parties, including Austria’s People’s party, refused to back a government led by the FPÖ’s leader, Herbert Kickl, who during the election routinely peppered his speeches with Nazi rhetoric, railed against migrants with slogans such as “Fortress Austria” and “Austria First”, and had been previously ousted as a hardline interior minister.

Austria’s president, Alexander van der Bellen, on Sunday said he had spent several hours speaking to officials and had emerged with the impression that “the voices within the People’s party who exclude working with the Freedom party under its leader Herbert Kickl have become quieter.”

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/05/austrias-president-to-meet-far-right-leader-amid-coalition-speculation