Ash Wednesday meeting

Police glad that Kickl is not coming as chancellor

FPÖ Chairman Herbert Kickl sets the tone in the party, but not in Austria as Federal Chancellor. This year, he is the keynote speaker for the third time at the Ash Wednesday meeting in Ried im Innkreis.(Bild: EPA)

The tradition would have continued even if Herbert Kickl had been Chancellor: In a week's time, the Freedom Party will meet in Ried im Innkreis for a political Ash Wednesday. Naturally, harsh words are used and political opponents are insulted. But the police breathe a sigh of relief that Kickl is not in power. 

The meeting in the Innviertel is one of the fixed points in the Freedom Party's calendar: launched in 1992 under the then FPÖ chairman Jörg Haider, the Political Ash Wednesday is taking place for the 31st time in the Jahnturnhalle in Ried. Everyone who is anyone in the blue party is there - and if the coalition negotiations with the ÖVP had been successful, for the first time with a Federal Chancellor as the main speaker.

FPÖ chairman Herbert Kickl will nevertheless be in Ried on Wednesday, March 5 - and is expected to deliver a complete reckoning with the ÖVP and the other parties.

Born in Upper Austria, Jörg Haider (†) is considered the inventor of the FPÖ meeting on Ash Wednesday in Ried. He came for the first time in 1992.(Bild: Uta Rojsek-Wiedergut)

"The additional effort would have been enormous"
In terms of security and the necessary personal protection, the police and the State Office for State Protection and Counter-Extremism - an offshoot of the Directorate for State Protection and Intelligence Services - are not unhappy that Kickl is not coming as Chancellor.

 "The additional effort would have been enormous. Such events with such polarizing political personalities are delicate enough as it is. If the speaker had also been the Austrian head of government, even more barriers, surveillance and checks would have been necessary," says an official familiar with the preparations for the meeting in the Innviertel region.

Everyone who is anyone in the Freedom Party is coming to the Innviertel on Ash Wednesday. In addition to Herbert Kickl (right), Upper Austria's Vice-President Manfred Haimbuchner (left) will also be speaking.(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger/Daniel Scharinger)

There were indications of demonstrations in advance, and a good 2,500 people will be attending the Freedom Rally, who will need to be protected. State and private security services will therefore have plenty to do even without an FPÖ chancellorship. According to the regional party, all tickets are sold out.

In addition to Herbert Kickl, blue-ribbon figures such as General Secretaries Michael Schnedlitz and Christian Hafenecker are also expected to attend. In addition to Kickl, Manfred Haimbuchner and host and FPÖ-Ried leader Thomas Dim will also be speaking on the podium.