Government negotiations failed: ÖVP breaks off talks!

Government negotiations failed: ÖVP breaks off talks!

After the coalition negotiations between the ÖVP and SPÖ were broken off, the Social Democrats accused the ÖVP of serious allegations. The Vorarlberg SPÖ leader Mario Leiter described the Turquoises' decision to end the talks as a “serious mistake”. Leiter, who was part of the negotiating team, emphasizes that an agreement would have been entirely possible. He criticized the fact that the ÖVP was now leaving Austria in a phase of uncertainty. Despite the criticism, he paid respect to the outgoing Chancellor Karl Nehammer, especially for saying that the FPÖ was “not an option” for him oe24.at reported.

Political turbulence in Austria

The breakdown of the talks marks another turning point in the political negotiations that have been taking place since the National Council elections on September 29th. After intense arguments and the Neos' withdrawal from the talks on Friday last week, Nehammer announced his resignation on Saturday and ended negotiations with the SPÖ. The political path to forming a new government therefore appears to be a long way off. The negotiations with the FPÖ and the worsening budget situation had already placed a heavy burden on the coalition talks, which culminated in the decision to withdraw from the Neos, who complained about a lack of willingness to reform on the part of the ÖVP and SPÖ the press determines.

Given the political instability and uncertainty that now prevails, the consequences for Austrian politics and the challenges ahead are uncertain. Nehammer's resignation indicates that the coalition negotiations failed not only because of the talks themselves, but also because of the internal conflicts within the parties. Current voices from the SPÖ indicate that everyone involved has to take a look at their own noses, but the hope that Austrian politics will continue to have a strong social orientation remains.