In a significant political development, a lawmaker from the far-right Freedom Party has been elected as the new speaker of Austria's parliament. Walter Rosenkranz, a prominent figure within the party, secured the position with the support of 100 out of 183 lawmakers during the inaugural session of the new parliament.
This marks the first time a member of the Freedom Party has been elected as speaker, a position of high protocol significance in Austria. Traditionally, the speaker role is held by the strongest party in parliament, making Rosenkranz's election a notable departure from the norm.
Despite Rosenkranz's election as speaker, the Freedom Party is not expected to be part of the next government. President Alexander Van der Bellen recently tasked incumbent Chancellor Karl Nehammer with forming a new administration following a stalemate in the September 29 parliamentary election.
Nehammer's conservative Austrian People's Party has expressed reluctance to work with the Freedom Party under its leader, Herbert Kickl. Additionally, the other three parties in the new parliament have ruled out any collaboration with the Freedom Party.
Rosenkranz, who previously ran as the Freedom Party's candidate in the 2022 presidential election, finished a distant second behind Van der Bellen. The current focus remains on the formation of a coalition government, with Nehammer aiming to build a three-party coalition involving the center-left Social Democrats and either the liberal Neos or the environmentalist Greens.
As Austria navigates its post-election landscape, the political dynamics and potential coalition formations will continue to shape the country's governance in the coming months.
