25 years of black and blue: memories of a historical government!

25 years of black and blue: memories of a historical government!

On February 4, 2025, there is a significant event in the political history of Austria: 25 years ago, the first black and blue coalition was praised under Wolfgang Schüssel, together with the FPÖ. This announcement has caused great excitement in the past when the government had to go to the loud protests and with a facial reception by Federal President Thomas Klestil. Ex-Interior Minister Strasser from the ÖVP and ex-Justice Minister Michael Krüger from the FPÖ can look back on this historical time. As the Krone , the two parties are now in negotiations for a collaboration, but without the highly dramatic atmosphere of back then.

The black and blue coalition represented a radical policy for that time and was critically eyed internationally because a government with right-wing populists was considered incompatible with the values ​​of the EU. In the meantime, the political landscape has changed in both Austria and Germany. The composition of the German federal governments has been determined in Articles 62 to 69 of the Basic Law since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. These regulations concern the competencies of the then and today's governments. The developments and transformations of the cabinet, such as the comprehensive reinforcement of the Adenauer IV cabinet in the 1960s, show the dynamics and complexity of government formation in Germany, as explained on wikipedia

A look back into history

The coalition at that time was characterized by indoor policy tensions and international pressure. 25 years ago, it would have been unimaginable that such a cooperation between bourgeois forces and right -wing populists would be accepted, while today it is almost part of political normality. These changes raise questions about the future direction of Austrian politics and show how far the country has come since these turbulent times.