New elections are looming: What happens if Blue-Black fails?

New elections are looming: What happens if Blue-Black fails?

Political chaos is brewing in Austria: The blue-black coalition, consisting of the FPÖ and the ÖVP, is in danger of failing and thus extending the fourth longest government formation of the 2nd Republic even further. The Federal Managing Director of the SPÖ, Seltenheim, warns that this coalition is damaging the country and undermining the reputation of the political landscape. “The FPÖ is constantly humiliating the ÖVP,” he criticizes sharply and calls for an end to this “tragedy”. However, the SPÖ remains willing to talk and is ready to work with other democratic parties to form a viable government, such as the small newspaper reported.

Uncertain future for government formation

The FPÖ is now demanding crucial ministerial posts such as the finance and interior ministries, which is putting further obstacles in the way of negotiations with the ÖVP. The parties appear to be moving further away from each other in their positions instead of moving closer together. This could have serious consequences: if the government fails, new elections may be on the horizon. Experts like those from oe24 warn that the chances of new elections increase if the blue-black coalition fails, as the FPÖ under Herbert Kickl is already operating with this threat.

The SPÖ and the Neos show willingness to negotiate, but the new ÖVP leader Christian Stocker has ruled out dialogue with the SPÖ. Within the SPÖ there are considerations as to whether the current party leader Andreas Babler is suitable for another round of talks. In the worst case, you might imagine yourself in a scenario in which the FPÖ submits a request for new elections to the National Council. This leaves the alternative option of forming a government of experts, although this would only be viable if there was a majority in parliament. The pressure on political actors is enormous and time is running out to find a solution.