Herbert Kickl, the Freedom Party leader since 2021, wants to be chancellor. But to become Austria’s new leader, he would need a coalition partner to command a parliamentary majority. Rivals have said they won’t work with Kickl in government.
By Stephanie Liechtenstein, Associated PressHerbert Kickl, leader of the Freedom Party of Austria waves to supporters, in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, after polls closed in the country's national election.
But to become Austria’s new leader, he would need a coalition partner to command a parliamentary majority. Rivals have said they won’t work with Kickl in government. Nehammer said it was “bitter” that his party missed out on first place, but noted he brought it back from lower poll ratings. He has often said he won’t form a coalition with Kickl and said that “what I said before the election, I also say after the election.”
The Freedom Party is a long-established force but Sunday’s result was its best yet in a national parliamentary election, beating the 26.9% it scored in 1999. During the election campaign, Nehammer portrayed his party, which has taken a tough line on immigration in recent years, as “the strong center” that would guarantee stability amid multiple crises.
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