VIENNA Oct. 5 (DPA/EP) –
The leader of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) reiterated this Saturday his intention to lead the next government as chancellor of the country, days after the party won the parliamentary elections.
Herbert Kickl expressed his intention to govern after the meeting held last Friday with the Austrian president, Alexander Van der Bellen, and after Sunday’s elections, where the party obtained 28.8 percent of the votes in Sunday’s elections , ahead of the conservative Austrian People’s Party (OVP) with 26 percent and the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPO) with 21 percent.
However, the FPO faces a difficult negotiation for a viable coalition government as rivals have ruled out working with it, or with Kickl himself. However, Kickl has indicated that the electoral result is, in his opinion, “a clear mandate to offer five good years to Austria.”
“Our hand is extended,” he added, referring to the coalition negotiations, and warned that a “coalition of losers” would be an undemocratic phenomenon and a slap in the face to Austrian voters.
Van der Bellen plans to speak in the coming days with leaders of other parties, including ÖVP Chancellor Karl Nehammer and SPO leader Andreas Babler.
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