- Title: Election outcome does not give us part in government - FPO leader Hofer
- Date: 2nd October 2019
- Summary: VIENNA, AUSTRIA (OCTOBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF AUSTRIAN PRESIDENT ALEXANDER VAN DER BELLEN AND AUSTRIAN FREEDOM PARTY (FPO) LEADER NORBERT HOFER SHAKING HANDS CAMERAS HOFER WALKING CAMERAS VARIOUS OF VAN DER BELLEN AND HOFER WALKING INTO MEETING ROOM CAMERAS HOFER COMING OUT OF MEETING ROOM VARIOUS OF HOFER IN FRONT OF MICROPHONE HANDS HOLDING WALKING STICK CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (German) AUSTRIAN FREEDOM PARTY (FPO) LEADER, NORBERT HOFER, SAYING: "I said that we do not regard the result of the election as a call to be part of a government. There will be a government formed. But should there be unexpected events, if there is no government after maybe a year or so then the leadership of the FPO would reconsider its position. But we regard the chances for that as very small." DETAIL OF AUSTRIAN FLAG HOFER LEAVING
- Embargoed: 16th October 2019 16:46
- Keywords: Austrian elections Freedom Party (FPO) Norbert Hofer Alexander Van der Bellen
- Location: VIENNA, AUSTRIA
- City: VIENNA, AUSTRIA
- Country: Austria
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZENARR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The leader of Austria's Freedom Party (FPO) Norbert Hofer said on Wednesday (October 2) that election results did not allow the FPO to be part of a new government. Only if coalition talks would take unexpected turns or finding a new government would take a very long time would his party reconsider their position, Hofer said after meeting with President Alexander Van der Bellen.
Austria's conservative People's Party leader Sebastian Kurz had met with the country's president earlier on Wednesday in the hope of receiving his instructions to form a new government.
Kurz triumphed in Sunday's (September 29) election as his People's Party emerged well ahead with 37% of the vote, projections show, but he will need a coalition partner to control parliament.
Kurz, 33, has not ruled out any coalition partners and has said he will speak to all parties in parliament.
President Alexander Van der Bellen, a former leader of the Greens who will oversee the process, is likely to formally task Kurz with forming a coalition later this week.
Typically the election winner sounds out all possible coalition partners before holding exclusive talks with one of them, as Kurz and his People's Party (OVP) did in 2017 before allying with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO).
(Production: Ayhan Uyanik, Christine Soukenka, Stephan Schepers) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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