Austria President Hands Runner-Up Conservatives Path to Rule
- Freedom Party snubbed after coming in first place in election
- Ruling Chancellor Nehammer asked to form coalition government
Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen, left, and Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Oct. 21.
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Austria’s president asked the ruling conservative party to start coalition negotiation with the Social Democrats, snubbing the most popular far-right Freedom Party after it failed to find a potential partner.
Mandating incumbent Chancellor Karl Nehammer with the discussions offered the highest chance of finding a majority in parliament after elections last month, Alexander Van der Bellen told reporters in Vienna Tuesday. While the Freedom Party finished first in September’s election with 29% of the vote, it’s still far short of forming a majority in Austria’s consensus-based political system.