Of Monsters and Devils

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced his resignation over the weekend after coalition talks between the country’s centrist parties collapsed, deepening political uncertainty and strengthening the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), Politico reported.

Nehammer, who also serves as leader of the center-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), said “long and honest” negotiations with the center-left Social Democrats (SPÖ) had failed, citing irreconcilable differences on economic policies.

Talks with the liberal NEOS party had already broken down the previous day over disagreements on budgetary reforms and competitiveness.

Austrian parties began coalition talks in November with the goal of forming a government that could exclude the FPÖ, known for its Eurosceptic and Russia-friendly positions.

The far-right party won 30 percent of the vote in the September parliamentary elections, marking the first time in its history that it secured the top position.

Despite its electoral success, the FPÖ has been blocked from forming a government, with major parties refusing to collaborate with its leader, Herbert Kickl.

The far-right party has criticized the centrist bloc’s inability to govern, calling the coalition attempt a “political monstrosity.”

Nehammer pledged an “orderly transition,” and the ÖVP has reportedly appointed its secretary-general, Christian Stocker, as interim leader.

Observers noted that President Alexander Van der Bellen may now appoint a caretaker government to address Austria’s pressing challenges, including a recession and a budget deficit of 3.7 percent of the gross domestic product, Al Jazeera added.