AUSTRIA: Chancellor Urges Pres. To Ask Far-Right To Begin Coalition Soundings

Chancellor Karl Nehammer has urged President Alexander van der Bellen to formally ask the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) to hold sounding-out talks with other parties on forming a governing coalition. Nehammer is leader of the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), which came in second place behind the FPÖ in the 29 September federal election. 

• Earlier today, the ÖVP's governing board unanimously backed Nehammer to continue as leader of the party, despite the election result being one of the worst in the party's history following a major shift in support to the far-right.
• Calling on the president to give the FPÖ the exploratory mandate to form a governing coalition could prove a political ploy to avoid accusations of an 'establishment stitch up'. Already, all parties have ruled out working under FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl as chancellor.
• Should the FPÖ refuse to nominate another chancellor candidate the ÖVP could argue that it sought compromise but that the FPÖ was too rigid, setting the stage for a 'grand coalition' (GroKo) with the third-placed centre-left Social Democrats. This coalition would be vulnerable to internal divisions, holding just  92 seats - a majority of one.
• Bloomberg: "The Freedom Party’s leadership is set to discuss the election result and weigh its options on Wednesday. The smaller liberal NEOS and Greens will both hold press briefings later Tuesday."
• The current ÖVP-Green gov't will be removed from office on 2 October, remaining in power in a caretaker capacity during coalition talks.