Nehammer Announces Resignation as Chancellor and ÖVP Leader

The ÖVP broke off coalition negotiations with the SPÖ in the evening, which also means the end for Karl Nehammer. He will step down as Chancellor and ÖVP leader "in the next few days". He announced this on Saturday in a video distributed via social media. "Don't take yourself too seriously" was a phrase his father had given him. He will enable a smooth transition, it has been an honour to serve the country.

Nehammer Resigns After Unsuccessful Coalition Negotiations

An agreement was not possible on key points, the ÖVP had previously justified the end of the coalition talks. The internal party pressure on Nehammer had recently increased.

In a press conference, SPÖ leader Andreas Babler also expressed himself in this direction, personally thanking Nehammer. Other forces in the People's Party did not want the negotiations: "The wing that has been flirting with the Blues from the beginning has prevailed." Babler did not want to name these forces by name on request, but after the press conference, the SPÖ named the economic wing, led by Harald Mahrer and Wolfgang Hattmansdorfer, who is being considered as Nehammer's successor. Babler appealed to the ÖVP to continue negotiating over the weekend and not to give up. Because it would have needed state responsibility and not "party tactical manoeuvres", according to Babler. Reports that he had already flirted with leaving the talks on Friday were "a classic newspaper duck".

Babler was convinced that they could have solved "the still open points". They made it clear again that "we as SPÖ of course are ready and must be ready to make compromises. Negotiations cannot be a one-way street." So they said to the ÖVP: "tell us what is possible for you". However, they would have wanted "cuts in pensions, teachers, police officers and health professions".

Babler warned of the future: "The SPÖ will continue to be a strong voice for social policy, because we know what is now threatening: Blue-Black and thus a far-right Chancellor". They will inform the presidium online about the steps taken today in the evening.

Kickl Sees Van der Bellen Under Pressure

Indeed, FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl seems to want to make life difficult for the ÖVP. Specifically, he addressed the chairmanship issue in a statement, which he sees as a "litmus test": "We will see if the People's Party has at least somewhat understood the voters' mandate from the National Council election."

The Freedom Party chairman sees the Federal President under pressure: "Alexander Van der Bellen bears significant co-responsibility for the resulting chaos and lost time. He cannot shirk this." Van der Bellen, along with Nehammer and Babler, "stands amidst the ruins of their Kickl prevention strategy".

NEOS leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger saw her own perception confirmed in a written statement: "Unfortunately, the ÖVP and SPÖ are not capable of overcoming mutual injuries and developing a common vision for this country. The rapid break confirms our decision yesterday to leave the negotiations due to a lack of reform zeal." She had "great respect" for Chancellor Nehammer.

Kogler criticises ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS

What NEOS, but also ÖVP and SPÖ have delivered today, is "disgusting and irresponsible", Green Party federal spokesperson Werner Kogler found in the evening. The two formerly truly state-supporting parties SPÖ and ÖVP have obviously forgotten that compromises are made so that Austria can progress. Here, three parties have put their own interests before the interests of the Republic.

At least Kogler "expressly" thanked Nehammer "for the trusting cooperation in recent years".

How things will proceed was initially unclear. Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen was informed on Saturday, he wants to take further steps on Sunday. The head of state had personally given Nehammer the mandate to form a government and not FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl as the chairman of the party with the most votes in the National Council election. Van der Bellen justified this by saying that both the People's Party and the Social Democrats did not want to form a coalition with the Freedom Party.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.