New Austrian conservative leader ready for coalition talks with far right

In a major U-turn, Christian Stocker says he will enter into coalition talks with the far right if invited to do so.

Austria’s conservatives have said they are ready to enter into negotiations with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) to form a new government, in a U-turn in policy after coalition talks with the Social Democrats and liberals broke down.

The European Union country was plunged into political turmoil after conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Saturday broke off talks to form a centrist government without the far right, the party that got the most votes in national elections in September.

In the wake of the collapse, Nehammer said he would step down as chancellor and party chairman of the People’s Party (OVP) in the coming days to enable an “orderly transition”. He has held both posts since late 2021.

At a leadership meeting of the conservatives on Sunday, OVP Secretary-General Christian Stocker was chosen as interim party leader.

Stocker had long repeated Nehammer’s position that the OVP would not govern with the far right, but he said the situation had now changed and that he had been authorised by his party to enter into coalition talks with the FPO if invited to do so.