ÖVP-power abuse: Special meeting of the National Council on May 21!

ÖVP-power abuse: Special meeting of the National Council on May 21!

Wien, Österreich - On May 21, 2025, the National Council meets in a special meeting that was called up at the request of the FPÖ. The session, which begins at 12 p.m., is entitled "ÖVP abuse: state or party, what is the top priority for you, Mr. Chancellor?" As reports ots, the FPÖ will bring in an urgent application to be treated at 3:00 p.m. Since Chancellor Christian Stocker is prevented on this day, he is represented by the State Secretary in the Federal Chancellery.

The regular National Council meeting takes place on Thursday, starting at 9:00 a.m. On the agenda are the current hour of the ÖVP and the activity report of the public prosecutor. In addition, the folklore are chosen for a new period of time. Other topics are templates from the budget and financial sector, with the aim of bringing the second part of the budget renovation measures law into the plenary area, and adapting the Driving Act to EU law.

candidacies for the EU election

In another politically charged context, Othmar Karas announced his candidacy for the EU election on May 26. According to ORF Karas is expected to compete as the top candidate of the ÖVP and has significantly shaped the Pro -European Tradition of the party. Karas plans to fight against anti-EU populists and to stand up for more cohesion in Europe. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz supports his candidacy and praises Karas' achievements in the European Parliament.

The ÖVP will officially decide on your list next Monday. Karolina Edtstadler, who was nominated as number two on the list, brings experience from her time at the European Court of Human Rights and was previously State Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior. The SPÖ has already fixed its list of candidates, with Andreas Schieder as a top candidate, while Neos and FPÖ also announced their candidatures.

Current political situation in Austria

The political landscape in Austria is currently tense. The FPÖ achieved a historical victory in the last National Council election and is the strongest political force with 29.2% of the votes. This result represents an increase of 13 percentage points compared to 2019, while the ÖVP only received 26.5%-a minus of 11 points (https://www.dw.com/de/%C3%B6 austria-wahl-nationalrat-2024-analysis/a-70357000). The turnout was 77.9%, which means an increase in two percentage points.

The challenges for the FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl could, however, be great because it could be difficult for him to find coalition partners. Factors such as the extensive rejection of cooperation by ÖVP boss Karl Nehammer and the possibility that Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen does not commission him to form the government. Nehammer could try to form a triple alliance with the SPÖ and the NEOS, while Kickl has run a very polarizing election campaign.

The coming days could be crucial for the political future of Austria, both with regard to the special meeting of the National Council and with the upcoming elections at European level.