Austria coalition talks stall as FPÖ and ÖVP leaders meet with president

There is increasing uncertainty regarding Austria’s government formation, as coalition talks between the far-right FPÖ and conservative ÖVP appear to have stalled.

While coalition talks between the two parties continued on Tuesday morning, critical voices from the ÖVP increasingly raised doubts throughout the day over whether a successful conclusion could be reached.

ÖVP leader Christian Stocker and FPÖ chairman Herbert Kickl were expected to meet with Federal President Alexander van der Bellen separately in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna on Tuesday afternoon. It could be decided today whether talks will be broken off, or if the two sides reach a breakthrough.

Meanwhile, an appeal came from the other three parties that gained seats in the country’s parliamentary elections: SPÖ, Greens and Neos told the ÖVP that they should end coalition talks with the FPÖ. According to local media, several top politicians from these parties have offered alternatives to an FPÖ-ÖVP coalition, including the acceptance of a minority government or parliamentary cooperation with a transitional or expert government.

There have already been several roadblocks to the formation of a government in Austria since the country’s federal election last year. Kickl, whose Freedom Party won the most votes, received a mandate in January to try and form a government with the ÖVP.

The latter had previously attempted to form a government without Kickl, but lengthy talks with two other mainstream parties collapsed — with the question of how to get the country’s finances in shape a key sticking point.

But the coalition talks between the FPÖ and ÖVP have not been smooth either. Points of conflict include the suspension of the right of asylum demanded by the FPÖ as well as Kickl’s critical stance towards the European Union.