Formation of government in danger: Nehammer resigns and talks collapse!

Formation of government in danger: Nehammer resigns and talks collapse!

Austria is deep in political crisis and an end to the formation of a government is far away. Loud orf.at The Neos have stopped coalition negotiations with the ÖVP and the SPÖ. Chancellor Karl Nehammer from the ÖVP then broke off talks with the SPÖ and announced his resignation. These drastic steps come more than three months after the National Council election, in which the FPÖ became the strongest party with 28.8 percent, followed by the ÖVP and the SPÖ. The pressure on the parties is growing, but the differences seem insurmountable.

The escalation of negotiations

On January 3, 2025, Beate Meinl-Reisinger from the Neos announced that her party was officially ending negotiations for a three-party coalition. She criticized the ÖVP and SPÖ's unwillingness to undertake fundamental reforms. This announcement led to an immediate break in negotiations, and Nehammer's resignation followed a day later, further shaking the already tense political atmosphere. His withdrawal marks another low point in efforts to establish a stable government the press reported.

In the past few months there have been numerous rounds of negotiations in which the possibilities for cooperation were always in jeopardy. The SPÖ and the Neos initially had hope for an agreement, but the critical exchange about the budget situation and differences in the education sector damaged trust. The Neos' withdrawal caused the already fragile structure to collapse and reduced the chances of an agreement on a new government. The parties' plans and promises now seem like soap bubbles that burst with every conversation.