On Monday, it was announced that "intensive discussions" were still ongoing. They remained reserved about the content. The joint government program is to be completed and presented by the middle of the week, although it was still unclear whether on Wednesday or Thursday. After the presentation, the swearing-in of the new cabinet could take place on Monday, March 3rd. The prerequisite is that the NEOS members agree the day before. For the other two parties, the approval of the committees is sufficient.

Ministry Distribution in Three-Party Coalition Seems Relatively Fixed

The distribution of ministries among the parties now seems relatively fixed. The question now is who will be appointed from each party. In the ÖVP, Christian Stocker is set as Chancellor. Otherwise, continuity seems to be a priority for the People's Party, as Gerhard Karner (Interior), Klaudia Tanner (Defense), and Norbert Totschnig (Agriculture) are expected to retain their portfolios. Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer is being considered as Minister of Economy, but the Styrian regional councilor Barbara Eibinger-Miedl is also frequently mentioned in the media. The current State Secretary Claudia Plakolm is also considered to have good chances for a ministerial position. She could be responsible for the youth and family agendas as Minister of the Chancellery.

Three-Party Coalition: SPÖ to Take Over Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Justice

In the SPÖ, alongside Babler, who is set as Vice-Chancellor, Lower Austria's state leader Sven Hergovich is favored for the Ministry of Infrastructure, ÖGB Vice-President Korinna Schumann for the Social Affairs portfolio, and Women's Chairwoman Eva-Maria Holzleitner is in pole position as Minister for Women. Additionally, the SPÖ is to take over the Ministry of Finance. It is unclear who will be appointed here. The Ministry of Justice is also likely to go to the Reds. It is expected that at least one of the two positions will be filled by the Vienna SPÖ.

NEOS to Receive Two Ministries in Three-Party Coalition

It is considered certain that the NEOS will receive two ministries. Initially mentioned are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education, for which party leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger and Vienna's Deputy Mayor Christoph Wiederkehr are being considered. Additionally, there is to be a NEOS State Secretary, with Sepp Schellhorn being the hottest candidate for this position.

(APA/red)

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