Coalition - Negotiations Are Resumed

Recently, there have been significant differences, especially regarding the distribution of ministries. As a result, there was even a temporary radio silence. Only after meetings between party leaders Herbert Kickl and Christian Stocker with Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen did FPÖ and ÖVP announce on Thursday the resumption of talks.

Van der Bellen briefly commented on the current situation on the sidelines of the swearing-in of Governor Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ) on Friday: "The talks are ongoing. I am being briefed. We will see." When asked if he is optimistic about the formation of the coalition, he merely said "mh".

FPÖ and ÖVP Silent on Time and Place

When and where the negotiations between FPÖ and ÖVP will take place, the parties once again did not disclose. It was also unclear whether anything about the content would be communicated afterwards. The aim of the meeting is, in any case, to continue the coalition negotiations, according to the FPÖ. The Freedom Party has been tasked with forming a government, and they are now continuing to work on this task. The thematic subgroups are essentially through, and now it is time to address the big questions.

In recent days, the negotiations seemed to be on the brink. The situation escalated on Tuesday when the FPÖ presented the ÖVP with a proposal for the distribution of ministries, which the People's Party deemed "unacceptable" because it did not reflect the election results. The FPÖ received 28.8 percent of the votes in September, while the ÖVP received 26.3 percent.

In response to the FPÖ's demand for the interior and finance ministries as well as EU, media, and cultural agendas, the ÖVP convened its party board. FPÖ leader Kickl further emphasized the FPÖ's claim to the finance and interior ministries on Facebook the following day. The ÖVP is said to have presented an alternative proposal, which was disputed by the FPÖ. Only after his conversation with the Federal President on Thursday did Kickl agree with Stocker to continue the talks.

Coalition Negotiations with Unresolved Issues

Recently, the allocation of positions was certainly not the only unresolved issue in the negotiations. According to information from the APA, essential points in the subgroups are marked as "red," especially in those related to foreign policy or media, but also partially in the areas of finance and taxes. The chief negotiators are supposed to address these unresolved questions, but it seems they have not really made any progress so far.

There still seems to be no movement from either side regarding the bank levy demanded by the Freedom Party. The turquoise economic wing is also likely to oppose a financial contribution from the chambers to budget consolidation. Additional points of contention include the Freedom Party's desired abolition of the ORF household levy, the Sky Shield missile defense system, and a common line on European policy.

Criticism from Doskozil

Governor Doskozil was also addressed on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony at the Hofburg and stated that the behavior of the Freedom Party and the People's Party "could not be more embarrassing." It is merely about positions, not about pressing issues such as care, education, or integration. The "pathetic image" has an impact both internally and externally, criticized the governor. Whether there are currently parallel negotiations between the People's Party and the Social Democratic Party, he could not answer, but he considers it unlikely.

(APA/Red)

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