Political patient: Who saves Austria from new elections?

Political patient: Who saves Austria from new elections?

In Austria, hopes for a new government have burst again. After months of negotiations on a triple coalition of the ÖVP, SPÖ and Neos, the Neos boss Beate Meinl-Reisinger explained last Friday that her party was no longer willing to work on such a coalition. The announcement came as a surprise, since the parties had previously been unpleasant. Before the Rosa poster with the inscription "Renew Austria" Meinl-Reisinger said that her party had not only seen any progress in the past few weeks, but also led to this decision, as did the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported.

Political stalemate and the responsibility of the ÖVP

The blockade in the negotiations now leads to a political stalemate in Austria. The General Secretary of the ÖVP, Christian Stocker, blamed the SPÖ for failure and complained that the "reverse forces" within the SPÖ became louder and louder, which would have put on the NEOS. However, the ÖVP, which is under the leadership of Chancellor Karl Nehammer, sees an urgent need for action for the country to advance reforms and strengthen Austria as a business location. Manuela Khom, ÖVP-related state party chairwoman in Styria, warned that the country cannot "afford a long, paralyzing election campaign". All party leader must be required to develop solutions together, according to the Small newspaper.

The outlook is now uncertain: While some political actors discuss a grand coalition from the ÖVP and SPÖ as a solution, there are also voices that consider a provisional or even new elections. In view of the difficult economic situation, there is an urgent need for a stable and capable government that drives reforms and implements crucial measures to stabilize the country. The tension between the different political camps remains noticeable, while the country is waiting for a solution.