He also asked him to begin negotiations with the SPÖ immediately. It should also be clarified whether a third partner is needed. In a statement at the Hofburg, he justified this approach by saying that FPÖ chairman Herbert Kickl could not find a coalition partner who would make him Chancellor.
Van der Bellen justified the fact that he was departing from the custom, according to which the Federal President has always given the leader of the party with the highest number of votes the task of forming a government, saying that this time there was a “completely unusual case”. Because no one wants to work with the party with the highest number of votes in a government.
Video: Van der Bellen’s statement in full
“No one can claim the people alone”
“The National Council election on September 29th was not a race in which the party that finishes first automatically forms the government,” explained Van der Bellen. According to the constitution, justice comes from the people. “And the people are all of us: the 1.4 million voters of the FPÖ and the 1.3 million of the ÖVP and the one million of the SPÖ and the 450,000 of the NEOS and 400,000 of the Greens and everyone else who voted for other parties , or invalid or did not vote.” And “no one can claim the entire people for themselves,” the Federal President probably said in the direction of Kickl.
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A majority of 50 percent in the National Council is necessary for a stable government. In the discussions with the three party leaders of the FPÖ, ÖVP and SPÖ, the statements made by them in the media were “fully confirmed”, namely that there can only be a government for Kickl with him as Chancellor and the others do not want to govern with Kickl.
Van der Bellen cited the reasons given to him by Nehammer and Babler for rejecting a government with Kickl: concerns about liberal democracy, the rule of law and separation of powers, about the European orientation, the FPÖ’s closeness to Putin, massive security concerns from foreign secret services, one divisive and degrading language, a backward-looking image of women and the lack of differentiation from right-wing extremists.
Therefore, a stable government majority must now be sought “by other means,” said the Federal President, justifying the commissioning of Nehammer to form the government. He reported that he had already informed the ÖVP boss and former Chancellor about this in the morning. He trusts in the “awareness and sense of responsibility” of the ÖVP, SPÖ and all other parties involved.
This article was updated at 2:01 p.m.
