ÖVP and FPÖ start coalition talks: What's next for Austria?

ÖVP and FPÖ start coalition talks: What's next for Austria?

The political landscape in Austria is upside down: The ÖVP under the leadership of Christian Stocker has now officially confirmed coalition negotiations with the FPÖ. This decision came after an important meeting of party leaders, which provides clear direction for the upcoming talks. Interesting key points have already been outlined, with the budget chosen as the first topic of discussion. Loud 5min.at Stocker emphasizes the importance of Austria's sovereignty, especially with regard to Russia, and the close partnership within the EU. The negotiating team could turn out to be crucial: In addition to Stocker, the team also includes prominent members such as August Wöginger, Harald Mahrer and Claudia Plakolm.

Parallel to Stocker's efforts, FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl dared to go public and confirmed an imminent meeting with the ÖVP. These talks are particularly explosive because a three-party coalition with SPÖ and NEOS was previously sought, which has now failed. A closed FPÖ board has already given the green light for the negotiations salzburg24.at reported. In the run-up to the talks, Stocker emphasized the urgency of asking the FPÖ questions that concern the continued existence of democracy and Austria's international course. Critical voices are also being raised against the ÖVP: Vandals have covered the party headquarters in Vienna with graffiti that express their displeasure with the current political direction.

First steps in the coalition negotiations

The negotiations are scheduled for Friday, when the steering groups of both parties are scheduled to meet. In this first round, the basic budget issues will first be clarified in order to determine whether further substantive negotiations make sense at all. Kickl warned that without clear financial guidelines, an agreement would be difficult to achieve, with the threat of an EU deficit procedure that could jeopardize economic reconstruction measures. The tension is rising because the outcome of these talks could have a significant impact on the country's political future.