ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS want to form a government together. On Saturday afternoon, the leaders of the three parties made the announcement to Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, as the head of state subsequently said in a statement. ÖVP leader Christian Stocker was "very confident" that the government programme would be completed. Achieving stability "as quickly as possible" is the goal of SPÖ leader Andreas Babler.
Van der Bellen stressed after the meeting that he had the impression: "Something has really moved on now." He saw not only a willingness to compromise, but also a focus on the common goal of moving the country forward. This is also necessary because the stakes are high.
It was not only about putting the state budget in order, but also about "reorganising the mood in the country, creating a new confidence", Van der Bellen stressed. The coming years will be difficult, "let's not kid ourselves", also because of the geopolitical situation. Europe must be active and Austria will play its part in this, while "decisive action" is also needed in the area of internal security, Van der Bellen said, referring for example to the terrorist attack in Villach. Developments for the better must now be addressed "quickly and permanently". He expressed the hope that the new government would work to put Austria back on top.
No questions from journalists were allowed after the statements. Stocker did not answer whether he expects to become chancellor as he left the chamber. In any case, his statement exuded confidence: "The talks have shown that there is common ground for finding compromises and new solutions for Austria," explained the ÖVP leader. They will therefore do everything in their power to ensure that this government is formed "as soon as possible".
Since FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl - with whom Stocker had been negotiating a blue-black coalition - gave up his mandate to form a government, "intensive talks" have been underway to form a joint federal government on the basis of what was worked out in the autumn tripartite talks. In terms of content, Stocker mentioned the areas of security, making life more accessible, prioritising education and implementing reforms to slim down the state.
Babler stressed that the interests of the state were given priority over the interests of the party. He agreed with the Federal President's recent exhortation that there needed to be more willingness to compromise, to "get closer to each other" and to communicate "at eye level". "We have had some very intense days and nights" and we are now beginning the 'finishing process'. He knew that this time was already long. He argues that people should not worry about politics, but rather that politics should ensure that their lives become easier again.
"It's not an easy situation," said the head of NEOS Beate Meinl-Reisinger adding that she was aware that 'the last few days, weeks and months have certainly been a test of patience for the residents'. "We're in the home stretch, we're not quite there yet," added the head of NEOS. "Not everything is settled yet, there are still unanswered questions," explained, but sees ways to resolve the 'blockages' from the first attempt. Meinl-Reisinger stressed that many things had changed since January - the FPÖ and ÖVP had failed to form a government and the geopolitical situation had also changed, she tried to justify why NEOS had initially cancelled the talks and now resumed them.
The fact that all three sides now seem to be coming together is actually somewhat surprising. The first attempt failed with the resignation of NEOS on 3 January, after which all sorts of animosities were hurled at each other. In principle, the ÖVP and SPÖ would have had a majority even with two parties, but this would have been secured by only one mandate. It was therefore finally decided to ask NEOS to rejoin the coalition as a permanent partner. "It's good to see you again here at the Hofburg, thank you for your interest." Van der Bellen greeted journalists on Saturday as the formation of a government has been dragging on for a historically long time since the elections at the end of September.
While all indications are that a three-party coalition will emerge, it is not a done deal. Another prerequisite is that a majority of NEOS members vote in favour of the coalition agreement at the General Assembly. This meeting should take place at the end of next week. The fact that not all the party's top leaders are enthusiastic about the coalition was demonstrated on Saturday when the Tyrolean regional leader rejected it in the "Kronen Zeitung" Dominik Oberhofer. "We have an offer with two ministries and the state secretariat, but I miss the reforms. NEOS is about reforms, not jobs," said a member of the National Council. According to the newspaper "Heute", four people from the extended executive committee of NEOS voted against the coalition negotiations. The chairman of the Vienna party Christoph Wiederkehr in his speech to the meeting of the regional members of NEOS on the negotiations in the Federal Government, stressed the need to find common solutions and compromises. This is the responsibility of the centre parties. "We need to reach out to each other and have the will to make a difference."
The FPÖ reacted critically to the new tripartite negotiations. Secretary General Michael Schnedlitz again talked about "the biggest voter fraud in modern political history" and accused the ÖVP of entering into negotiations with the SPÖ and NEOS before the elections in order to continue to provide chancellors. Babler and Meinl-Reisinger were "political stooges" and the government would never be able to negotiate. Even "this government of electoral losers" would not be able to bring about the necessary change in the country and hope for the people, Schnedlitz said in a press statement.
Chairman of the Green Party Werner Kogler held a completely different opinion. He wished a possible new triple coalition a good start. "The danger of a far-right chancellor from the FPÖ is over for now and a pro-European government is in sight. This is good news," Kogler said, and in criticising the budget plans he again announced that his party would play a constructive opposition role.
APA/ gnews.cz - RoZ
PHOTO - X Alexander van der Bellen
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