Christian Stocker was sworn in as Austria's new chancellor on Monday, heading a three-party coalition government formed five months after last year's elections. The three parties completed the coalition without the far right after post-election talks dragged on for five months.
Stocker's centre-right People's Party (ÖVP), the centre-left Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the liberal NEOS reached an agreement last week after their first attempt to form a coalition in January failed.
NEOS rank-and-file members voted overwhelmingly in favour of a coalition agreement with two other parties on Sunday, removing the last obstacle to their taking office.
SPÖ leader Andreas Babler is sworn in as Vice-Chancellor.
"Good things come to those who wait." joked the Austrian president Alexander Van der Bellen at the swearing-in ceremony of the new government, referring to the five-month coalition negotiations, the longest in the country's history.
"Especially in phases of major change, it is important to take responsibility together. Now it's about working together - making things happen! The next few years are our joint project. And none of it is just up to the government. We can all contribute to its success. Because if you, the Federal Government, the ministers and state secretaries are successful, Austria will be successful too. With this in mind, I wish you all a happy hand in your work and every success!" said the president on the X network:
Stocker, 46, has never served in any national government and his name was not even on the ballot when Austrians went to the polls last September. He took over as ÖVP chief from former Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who resigned in January when initial negotiations between the three parties broke down.
Stocker, a former lawyer, has been a member of the Austrian parliament since 2019 and served as the party's secretary-general from September 2022 until he replaced Nehammer.
The country's new chancellor said he did not expect to become ÖVP leader when Nehammer resigned.
"The day the decision was made, I went to Vienna in jeans and a turtleneck sweater," Stocker told the Austrian newspaper Die Presse.
"A few hours later, I had to ask for a suit and tie to be brought to me," he revealed.
Stocker has expressed his commitment to the European Union and is critical of Russia - policies that clashed with the leader of the far-right Free Party of Austria (FPÖ), Hebert Kickl, who came first in the election with 28 % votes.
After the failure of Kickl's own negotiations to form a coalition with the ÖVP, the controversial election winner now remains locked in opposition.
Stocker will lead the first three-party coalition in the Alpine country since the late 1940s.
The coalition agreement presented last week includes the introduction of stricter measures for asylum seekers, a revision of the rental housing laws and the implementation of planned cuts in welfare benefits.
euronews/ gnews.cz - RoZ
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