Austrian President calls for calm coalition talks after far-right election win

Vienna, Oct 3 (IANS) Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen called on all parties in the newly-elected parliament to seek compromises in coalition talks after the far-right Freedom Party won the general election.The Freedom Party won its first-ever election of the National Council, Austria's lower house of parliament, on Sunday by securing 29.2 per cent of the vote, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the Austrian broadcaster ORF.As it fell short of an absolute majority, the Freedom Party needed to find a coalition partner to govern. Still, all other parties had ruled out the possibility of a coalition with it under its controversial leader Herbert Kickl before the election.The conservative People's Party, which led the outgoing government, saw its support dropping to 26.5 per cent on Sunday from 37.5 per cent in the previous general election in 2019. Its coalition partner, the Greens, also saw its vote decrease to 8 per cent from 13.9 per cent in 2019."The election campaign is over. The confrontation is over. Now compromises must be found," Van der Bellen said on Wednesday when he accepted the outgoing government's resignation and entrusted it to stay as caretaker until a new coalition government is formed.

Van der Bellen said he would hold talks with the leaders of all five parties in the new parliament, adding that he would "do this with the necessary calm and in the necessary depth."

"Now it's about talking to each other and finding a viable majority," he said.

Van der Bellen, however, did not reveal on Wednesday whether he would appoint Kickl to form a new government.

It is a common practice for Austria's President to entrust the party that wins the general election to form a new government, but it is not mandatory under the constitution.