Coalition crisis: Talks between the ÖVP and FPÖ restarted in the Hofburg!

Coalition crisis: Talks between the ÖVP and FPÖ restarted in the Hofburg!

Hofburg, Wien, Österreich - The federal political upheaval is rising! On Thursday, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen met with the party leader after the coalition negotiations between the FPÖ and ÖVP got stuck on Wednesday. SPÖ boss Andreas Babler, Neos boss Beate Meinl-Reisinger and Greens boss Werner Kogler came together in the Hofburg to discuss the opportunities for future government formation. Van der Bellen has already sketched four options: new elections, a minority government, an expert government or a coalition of several parties. These approaches come after the failed attempt of a black and blue alliance.

coalition negotiations and print

The FPÖ and the ÖVP announced that it would continue their interrupted coalition negotiations as quickly as possible. FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl and ÖVP boss Christian Stocker confirmed this after talks with van der Bellen. Kickl confidently commented that a new approach to government formation can be taken, although the differences that led to the interruptions still exist. The ÖVP was rejected as unacceptable and led to a heated exchange of views of which ministries should be occupied in the future. The areas of finance and interior are particularly competitive, which are of central importance for both the freedom and the People's Party. These arguments will continue to be put to the test in the coming days, while the pressure on the negotiating partner grows because the time is pushing to form a stable government.

In this politically tense climate, van der Bellen canceled a planned visit to the women's descents of the Alpine World Ski World Championship due to the coalition negotiations. This decision shows how important the political actors are ongoing negotiations, but also that the government's uncertainty is currently floating above everything. Political scientist Peter Filzmaier emphasizes that despite all the difficulties, a space for compromises can exist, but the underlying conflicts urgently need to be solved if Austria wants to remain capable of acting until the next election.

for the president of the fiscal council, Christoph Badelt, a rapid agreement between the parties is of the utmost importance. The economic challenges are enormous, and without a sustainable government, the situation could continue to worsen. The questions about budget deficit and productivity development urgently require political stability to find a sustainable solution, such as orf reported.