Austria's first three-party coalition: a historical step!

Austria's first three-party coalition: a historical step!

Austria is faced with a historical turn: For the first time, the conservative People's Party (ÖVP), the Social Democratic SPÖ and the liberal Neos have agreed on the formation of a three-party coalition. This partnership was presented on Thursday in the much -discussed government program, which promised a number of reforms in the area of ​​party funding. According to the vienna.at , the annual increase in party funding, which is usually based on inflation, is exposed to 2026. This means that the FPÖ, which according to election surveys receives the largest share of funding, will have to expect financial cuts in the next few years.

Although the final details of the coalition program have not yet been published, it is confirmed that the coalition is also planning to have a comprehensive revision of the party law. In order to increase transparency and efficiency, the reports from the parties should only be made once a year instead of four times as before. In addition, additional regulations for ensuring integrity in party law are provided. These measures are part of the endeavor of the new government to refer to “international role models” for politicians, even if there are still no concrete suggestions on how the reform could look concrete, how Tagesschau.de reported.

The idea of ​​a "sugar coalition" that combines the three parties at federal level does not come without challenges. The first coalition talks recently remained without result after the parliamentary election in September 2024. Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen then commissioned Herbert Kickl from the FPÖ to form the government, which also failed. The pressure on the political actors is growing, especially in view of the currently unfavorable economic situation in Austria, where inflation and budget deficit increase. The coalition is now planning to present a double budget for 2025 and 2026 to counteract the political and economic crisis.