If he's Austria's new chancellor, this radical will Kickl butts

If he comes to power, sharp-tongued, far-right leader Herbert Kickl will be contemporary Austria's most controversial chancellor.

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His Freedom Party (FPOe), which topped national polls for the first time in September, last week began negotiations with the conservatives to form a government.

Although the FPOe has already been in power several times, it would be the first time they would lead the government – with the radical Kickl, who took over the scandal-tainted party in 2021 and revitalised it, as chancellor.

Kickl has called the talks a "litmus test", urging the conservatives – who until earlier this month had been trying to form a government without the FPOe – to avoid "games" and "tricks".