"Declaration" with Orbán

PR consultant: Kickl is “staging a shadow government”

Following the signing of the "Vienna Declaration", criticism of FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl continues unabated.(Bild: APA/Helmut Fohringer)

FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl is currently not only being criticized by other parties. His signed "Vienna Declaration" with Hungary's head of government Viktor Orbán is also causing heated debates online. There, the ÖVP-affiliated political consultant Wolfgang Rosam is already talking about the staging of a "shadow government".

"Kickl will stage a shadow government. We have just witnessed the first act - with the help of the President of the National Council. Motto: The party is everything. He is relying on new elections and ignoring everything," the PR consultant's tweet read on Friday. Perhaps this has not yet been said about the "Orbán-Kickl friendship".

Usurpation of office with "Vienna Declaration"?
As reported, the two politicians signed a so-called "Vienna Declaration" on Thursday. This sets out the most important principles of their parties on Europe. These include the fight against illegal migration and patriotism in the EU.

"Patriotism is a form of pride in one's own country and culture. And only those who have this appreciation for their own country will also have understanding and respect for the love of other people for their respective countries," the document reads, for example.

You can see Wolfgang Rosam's tweet here.

SPÖ: Kickl wants to restructure the republic!
However, it is not so much the content that is now being discussed, but rather the actions of the FPÖ leader. ÖVP Secretary General Christian Stocker, for example, spoke of a "political usurpation of office", as Kickl was not officially allowed to represent Austria. This was also reiterated by the Greens, while for the NEOS the statement is "not in our name". The SPÖ sees a desire for a "restructuring of our republic along Hungarian lines".

You can read the entire "Vienna Declaration" here:

Critics: "Kickl speaks for 30 percent at best"
Since Thursday, the criticism has been unrelenting - especially on social media. On the platform X, for example, one user wrote that "Mr. Kickl speaks at best for 30 percent" of the population "and the FPÖ", "and for no one else". "And someone like that wants to become Federal Chancellor", commented another. Lies are obviously "the core competence of the FPÖ".

There is talk of a "shadow government" and that the FPÖ leader is already banking on new elections. Other users pointed out that Kickl had "clearly won the election" and that there was no need to be afraid of his plans.

No one wants to work with Kickl
As is well known, the party leader did not receive a mandate from the Federal President to form a government. Next Tuesday, the leaders of the ÖVP and SPÖ will meet for a second time to negotiate a possible coalition. The NEOS are currently seen as the most likely government partner.

The FPÖ achieved 28.8 percent of the vote in the national elections, the ÖVP 26.3 percent and the SPÖ 21.1 percent. They were followed by the NEOS with 9.1 percent and the Greens with 8.2 percent. The remaining votes were shared by small parties such as the Beer Party and the KPÖ.