Austrian People’s Party Chooses Interim Leader After Nehammer Steps Down

The Austrian People’s Party leadership appointed Secretary-General Christian Stöckl as the interim leader of the party on Sunday, following Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s resignation after the collapse of coalition government talks.

According to the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, Stöckl (64 years old) will assume the role of interim leader. Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen is expected to make a statement later today after the collapse of talks between the country’s two largest centrist parties about forming a coalition government, as reported by Reuters.

Nehammer announced on Saturday that talks between the two largest centrist parties about forming a coalition government without the far-right Freedom Party had failed. This came after the “New Austria and Liberal Forum” party withdrew from negotiations, accusing other parties of failing to take bold and decisive actions on government formation.

Nehammer stated in a video on X after holding talks with the Social Democratic Party about forming a coalition government without the “New Austria” party: “I will step down from the position of Chancellor and leader of the People’s Party (Conservatives) in the coming days and will work on an organized transition.”

The Freedom Party, a pro-Russia right-wing party, won the parliamentary elections held last September with 29% of the vote. The Freedom Party needs a coalition partner to form a government, but there are no signs yet of a potential partner, with Nehammer ruling out working with Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl.