Shock for the ÖVP: NEOS withdraw from government negotiations!

Shock for the ÖVP: NEOS withdraw from government negotiations!

Laimgrubengasse 10, 1060 Wien, Österreich - On February 15, 2025, the news of the death of the former German FDP Interior Minister Gerhart Baum shook the political landscape. Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Chair of the Neos, commented on and paid tribute to Baum as an outstanding politician whose commitment to freedom and social security is unforgettable. "With Gerhart Baum, our German neighbors lose a great liberal who knew how to combine the freedom and security of society politically," she said. Baum will be remembered as a consistent reminder against political extremes. The NEOS express their deep condolents to the family and the companions, such as ots.at reported.

In the middle of this grief, the political landscape of Austria hit an unexpected turn. The Neos, as the smallest party in negotiations on the formation of a new government, surprisingly withdrew from the talks on January 3.. The attempt to form a centrist coalition without forming the right -wing extremist Freedom Party (FPO) was significantly shaken. In a hastily convened press conference, Neos leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger said that the other parties did not have the courage to make difficult decisions. Your withdrawal throws serious doubts about the future coalition talks, especially since the FPO, which won the election with 29 percent of the vote in the last elections in September, gains influence, such as Straitstimes.com reported. In these politically tense times, the remaining parties, the People's Party (ÖVP) and the Social Democrats (SPÖ), face a difficult challenge because they have to fight with a majority of only one seat.

political analysts describe the current situation as precarious, since the opening to the FPO is becoming increasingly unlikely. Both established parties are split in their basic tax issues and the risk of a rapid failure of the coalition talks is real. The OVP general secretary accused the Social Democrats of relying on backward-looking positions in the past few days, which ultimately led to the NEOS. In this chaotic environment, a new election could threaten, although this would not be in the interest of the ÖVP or the SPÖ, since opinion polls indicate that the FPO could significantly increase in a new ballot.