Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer Resigns Amid Coalition Talks Collapse

(MENAFN- AzerNews) Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has announced his resignation from both his position as Chancellor and as the leader of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) following the failure of coalition talks led by the ÖVP, Azernews reports.

In the parliamentary elections held on September 29 last year, the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) won with 28.8 percent of the vote. However, President Alexander Van der Bellen did not grant the mandate to form a new government to the FPÖ, which finished first, but instead to the ÖVP, which came in second with 26.2 percent of the vote. Van der Bellen justified his decision by stating that other parties did not want to be part of a government with the FPÖ. Consequently, Karl Nehammer was tasked with forming the new government, and coalition talks began with the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) and the New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS).

Before Christmas, the parties indicated that the coalition talks were progressing well, and a final decision was expected at the beginning of 2025 after discussing the details of financial matters. However, on January 4, NEOS announced that it was withdrawing from the coalition talks due to significant differences. Following this, it was expected that talks would continue between the ÖVP and SPÖ, but by the evening, the ÖVP also left the negotiating table, leading to a political crisis over the formation of a new government after the parliamentary elections.

In light of the political situation, Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced his resignation and stated that he would work to ensure a smooth transition to new leadership. Currently, his party is searching for new leadership while also determining the fate of the coalition talks. The only option left for the ÖVP to continue coalition talks and form a government is with the far-right FPÖ. In this case, the ÖVP would have to accept a junior partner role based on the vote share. Another important question is who will be the new leader of the party and whether that person will serve in the role for a short or long term.

Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen is expected to announce his position on the situation during the day. The current crisis has created a deadlock, and the preferred political constellation of the head of state has not been achieved, limiting options for further political maneuvers. The political course the ÖVP will take (whether to be ready for coalition talks with the FPÖ or to go for new elections) will influence the president's decision.

The FPÖ appears to be the biggest beneficiary of this crisis. Party leader Herbert Kickl stated that the current situation provides an opportunity for the ÖVP to understand the will of the people expressed in the parliamentary elections. He reiterated that his party, as the election winner, should be represented in the government.

Recent polls indicate that the FPÖ has gained more supporters in recent weeks. This means that whether participating in government talks or facing new parliamentary elections, the FPÖ is likely to strengthen its position further.

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