Center-right given mandate to form govt

VIENNA — Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen on Tuesday tasked incumbent Chancellor Karl Nehammer, leader of the center-right People's Party, with forming a coalition government following September's general election.

Van der Bellen said in an address that he made the decision because the far-right Freedom Party, which came first in the parliamentary election with about 29 percent of the vote, has not been able to find a coalition partner to govern after talks with two other major parties in the National Council, Austria's lower house of parliament, failed.

The People's Party, which led the outgoing government, came second with 26.3 percent of the vote, followed by the Social Democratic Party with 21.1 percent.

Van der Bellen on Tuesday gave Nehammer the mandate to immediately hold coalition talks with the Social Democratic Party.

"The task now is to find another way" to bring about a stable government, the president said, adding he had informed outgoing chancellor Nehammer this morning that he will be mandated to form a government as the "leader of the second-strongest party in parliament".

Following Van der Bellen's announcement, Nehammer said at a news conference that he would start coalition negotiations with the Social Democratic Party in the coming weeks, and he will look for a third partner to ensure a stable majority in the National Council.

A coalition comprising only the People's Party and the Social Democrats would have a shaky majority of just one seat in the National Council.

Work for stability

Nehammer said he would work hard to form a stable federal government and address the concerns of the Austrian people, such as migration and healthcare.

"I cannot say if the negotiations will lead to the formation of a government," Nehammer said. "But I will act in the interest of stability and reliability and with a sense of responsibility for our country."

Herbert Kickl, leader of the Freedom Party, criticized Van der Bellen for breaking with the Austrian president's common practice of entrusting the party that wins the general election to form a new government, saying on Facebook that Van der Bellen's decision is "a slap in the face" for Austrian voters.

It is not mandatory under the constitution for Austria's president to task the winning party of a parliamentary election to form a government.

Xinhua - Agencies