Three parties, one goal: Austria's new government takes off!

Three parties, one goal: Austria's new government takes off!

After a record-breaking wait of five months, Austria now has a new government. Christian Stocker from the conservative ÖVP is the new Chancellor and leads a previously untested three-party coalition consisting of his own party, the SPÖ and the NEOS. When he was sworn in, Stocker emphasized the great responsibility that comes with his duties. “I aspire to be a chancellor for everyone,” he added, as he prepared for challenges such as rising unemployment and a tight fiscal situation AP News reported.

The path to this coalition was tumultuous. After the first coalition talks collapsed in January, when then-Chancellor Karl Nehammer resigned, the three center parties tried again and finally found a compromise. According to Beate Meinl-Reisinger, it was important to take into account the demands of the educational system and society. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner will implement a stricter asylum policy that was already set out in the coalition agreement, reported Vienna.at. “There is a clause: If Austria is overloaded, then there is this option,” said Karner.

The new government has set ambitious goals, including avoiding an excessive deficit procedure. Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer from the SPÖ, whose appointment has been the subject of discussion in the past, will work within this framework. Stocker and his coalition partners are optimistic about the government's ability to function and emphasize the need to work together throughout the legislative period. "We have a common program. This is neither a 100% SPÖ program, nor a 100% ÖVP program, nor a 100% NEOS program," explained Babler, expressing confidence that the government can be successful despite past conflicts.