Budget crisis too big

Kickl cannot realize “sacred promise”

Kickl wanted to "pour pure wine".(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

At the New Year's meeting, Herbert Kickl outlined his aspirations to become chancellor. The FPÖ leader dampened expectations with his speech, which was full of froth. Blue election promises, which Kickl himself stylizes as "sacred", must be postponed for the time being. 

The police presence at an FPÖ event has rarely been so enormous. Drones are used to monitor the overcrowded parking lots. Security checks are also carried out at the entrance. Inside, 3000 FPÖ fans with Austrian flags crowd between palm trees. A lot has changed since the FPÖ was given the mandate to form a government. Herbert Kickl too.

What the FPÖ sympathizers experience at the traditional New Year's meeting is an FPÖ leader who is already preparing for his role as chancellor: He came across as equally foam-at-the-mouth and self-confident. Anyone expecting the usual riotous speech at the beginning of the year was thoroughly disappointed.

The blue boss delivered very few thigh-slapping statements, but more moderate tones. Kickl outlined how he envisioned his chancellorship for Austria. "What a blast it was when the Zuckerl coalition blew up," he said euphorically. "This background noise" was "something like the liberal New Year's concert" for him.

Promises of five good years will have to wait
A new "era of government" should now begin. He always wanted to "pour the Austrians pure wine". Because one "lie leads to the next lie", and that destroys the people's trust in politics. The FPÖ leader admits that he will not be able to keep his "sacred promise of five good years" straight away.

The budget mess is to blame: "This shambles is eating up all the leeway we wanted to use to finance relief, reward performance and create justice," he explains several times.

Kickl wants to "come clean" with his voters.(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

Nevertheless, there were celebrations in Vösendorf in Lower Austria.(Bild: TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

After all, as a first step, it had been possible to avert an EU deficit procedure, as "the European Union does not want to impose its control".

He also explained his access to the EU - after all, he will represent Austria at Council meetings in future. Kickl wants the "EU to enter a new phase - that of self-reflection" instead of being "a project of paternalism". Here, it is necessary to "push in" and "discuss measures controversially".