Clear rejection

LH Mattle reaffirms: “No” to coalition with FPÖ

Tyrolean Governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP)(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

A few days before the national elections, Tyrol's ÖVP provincial governor Anton Mattle has reiterated his firm "no" to a coalition with the FPÖ. "I have a very clear opinion. And I have always positioned myself very clearly when it comes to behavior in the context of forming coalitions," said Mattle on Tuesday.

 

The Tyrolean ÖVP leader wanted this to be understood for both cases - in the event of the ÖVP achieving first place, as well as in the event of second place. In the past, Mattle had distanced himself even more sharply from the Freedom Party than the federal party and not only linked his rejection of the FPÖ to the person of federal party leader Herbert Kickl.

"Allows meetings with Identitarians"
Kickl had not "addressed unifying words to society" either as party leader or as club chairman, the state leader once again explained his stance to the APA at a press conference on Tuesday. He also said that he had allowed and was allowing "his functionaries to meet with the Identitarians". 

In the past, the regional party leader has always propagated a coalition with the SPÖ, but only saw "major rifts" with SPÖ federal party leader Andreas Babler in the summer. Has anything changed? "There are some things that don't work at all in connection with Babler. Extremely left-wing positions such as a 32-hour week is one of them," Mattle continued to see major differences in terms of content.

We have come very close to the FPÖ and with a strong mobilization we will make up the last half percentage point and be ahead.

"ÖVP will be the first to cross the finish line"
When asked whether the first-placed party - regardless of coalition issues - should receive the government formation mandate from the Federal President, as has always been the case in the Second Republic, and whether this also applies to Herbert Kickl, Mattle did not respond directly: "I am convinced that the ÖVP will be the first to cross the finish line and that we will receive the government formation mandate."