Today, the leaders of the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS parties presented their proposals to Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen in a personal meeting. joint government programme. The Federal President will now examine the programme carefully. Christian Stocker, Andreas Babler and Beate Meinl-Reisinger also briefed the President on the latest steps in the formation of the government. Talks on the formation of a new government have been going on for five months, longer than any coalition negotiations in the country's history.
Austria's centrist parties have agreed to form a coalition government five months after the election in which the country's leading far-right party won the largest share of the national vote.
The centre-right People's Party (ÖVP), the centre-left Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the liberal NEOS party will present their government programme on Thursday and will take over the government next week if all three parties sign the agreement.
Christian Stocker of the ÖVP is to become Chancellor and Andreas Babler of the SPÖ Vice-Chancellor.
According to local media, the new government's programme should emphasise "consensus and pragmatism".
The agreement still requires the approval of the NEOS rank-and-file members, who will vote on the pact on Sunday.
The ÖVP and SPÖ have ruled Austria in previous coalitions, but together they have the narrowest possible majority of seats, 92 out of 183. NEOS has 18 seats and has never been part of a national government before.
The deal would prevent the far-right Free Party of Austria (FPÖ) and its controversial leader from ruling after a record five months of negotiations Hebert Kickl.
The FPÖ came first in the Austrian elections last September with 28 % votes, but was sidelined in the initial coalition negotiations under former Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
These negotiations collapsed after NEOS expressed opposition to the proposed economic policy.
The FPÖ was then given the chance to hold coalition talks with the ÖVP, but these negotiations also collapsed after the pair clashed over policy differences and control of various ministries. Members of both parties blamed each other for the failure of the talks.
Chairman of the ÖVP Karl Mahrer specifically accused FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl of stirring controversy with his Eurosceptic and Russia-friendly views.
Mahrer told Austrian television: "I thought Herbert Kickl had changed. The last weeks, days and hours have shown that he is still a security risk."
Kickl, meanwhile, derided the government that keeps his party out of power as a "coalition of losers" and demanded new elections.
euronews/ gnews.cz - RoZ
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