Former Chancellor Schüssel on His 80th Birthday: Clear Rejection of Kickl and FPÖ

The former Federal Chancellor and ÖVP leader Wolfgang Schüssel, who once brought the FPÖ into a government coalition amid international protests, stands behind the current government of ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS.

Schüssel Stands Behind Turquoise-Red-Pink

The Freedom Party today under Herbert Kickl has taken itself out of the game, he said in essence in several interviews on the occasion of his 80th birthday on Saturday. There were congratulations from his party for the celebrant.

From the Freedom Party's side, the "basic consensus on Europe" was not there, Schüssel stated in the "Salzburger Nachrichten" regarding the recent government negotiations. "Anyone like FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl who goes into total opposition to the EU cannot be taken seriously. If the FPÖ believes it must remain on this line, there will never be a coalition. Pro-Europe, pro-market economy, and pro-liberal democracy - there are no compromises on these three things," said the former chancellor in the "Oberösterreichische Nachrichten".

Praise for "Calm" Stocker

Schüssel, on the other hand, was full of praise for the current, "calmly" formed turquoise/black-red-pink coalition under his party colleague Christian Stocker. He also spoke positively - for example, in the OÖN or the Ö1 "Mittagsjournal" - about NEOS leader and Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and SPÖ Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer: "Something could emerge there." Schüssel did not mention Vice Chancellor and SPÖ leader Andreas Babler.

Such praise did not go unanswered by the current ÖVP leadership. In a statement, Stocker thanked him "for his tireless efforts" and declared: "Wolfgang Schüssel has realigned the course of the party and our country in a time of upheaval. His successes still shape Austria today - for example, through the strengthening of Austria's foreign policy, the forward-looking pension reform, or the introduction of the euro, which was carried out during his time as Federal Chancellor."

(APA/Red)

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