Coalition Negotiations to Continue on Tuesday

The coalition negotiations between FPÖ and ÖVP resumed on Tuesday morning in the parliament. The chief negotiators appeared rather conciliatory before the meeting. The negotiations would naturally continue, said ÖVP leader Christian Stocker. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl spoke of "five good years" that they wanted to bring to the country. The Ministry of the Interior would be best placed with the FPÖ, he said. WKÖ President Harald Mahrer had sharper tones ready in advance.

Austria Continues with Coalition Negotiations

Neither Kickl nor Stocker revealed their cards before the start of the negotiations. The Ministry of the Interior is "an important department" and a core competence of the FPÖ, "with this attitude we go into the negotiations," said Kickl when asked if his party would insist on the ministry claimed by both sides. It is about the substantive basis, from which the departmental responsibilities would also be derived, said his negotiating counterpart from the ÖVP, Stocker. Kickl reminded that for three months they have been hearing "not to continue as before" and that is exactly what he is orienting himself towards.

The signs of the negotiations are difficult, as the head of the Chamber of Commerce, Mahrer, one of the key ÖVP negotiators, had already put the FPÖ on notice before the talks began: "Anyone who is not willing to compromise and is only in a power frenzy may not be fit to govern," he was quoted in the "Krone". The FPÖ did not want to comment on this when asked by APA. Criticism also came from the chairman of the Vienna People's Party, Karl Mahrer. "My critical stance towards Herbert Kickl has recently been confirmed again," he told the "Standard". "Kickl apparently does not want a stable and capable government - he relies on total control and power. We rely on responsibility. Herbert Kickl must finally make it clear what he wants - otherwise he will fail."

Mikl-Leitner: "A Very Great Responsibility"

Lower Austria's ÖVP Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner addressed Kickl on Tuesday on the sidelines of a press conference in St. Pölten. "If I want to become Chancellor of this Republic, then that is also a very great responsibility. This responsibility naturally includes the ability to compromise and, above all, the ability to build bridges to create compromises and common approaches." The SPÖ, in turn, had raised "retro-socialist demands" and pushed ÖVP and NEOS "off the negotiating table" during the three-party coalition talks. That they now pretend the hand is extended, "that seems to me to be implausible," said Mikl-Leitner. An option of a minority government brought up by the NEOS is currently not on the table due to the ongoing government negotiations.

On the previous evening, the chief negotiators had sat down together again for the first time after days of quarrels. The ÖVP handed the FPÖ a two-page document with "guidelines" that should be undisputed, such as a clear European positioning. Whether the meeting brought progress on the contentious issues - primarily the appointment of the Ministry of the Interior - remained open.

After the approximately 90-minute meeting on Monday evening, the chief negotiators left the meeting room in the parliament through the back exit without commenting to the waiting journalists. Reportedly, the mood at the short meeting was better than recently, even if there was at least no talk of a breakthrough yet. The ÖVP was reportedly extremely skeptical recently, mainly due to substantive differences.

"Establishing Common Guidelines Beyond Dispute"

In the document titled "Establishing Common Guidelines Beyond Dispute" sent by the ÖVP to the negotiation partner, which is also available to the APA, key points central to the ÖVP are discussed. These topics and positions are said to be "essential for any Austrian government - regardless of party and ideology".

A "clear pro-European positioning and international cooperation" is mentioned as the "foundation of the government". To speak "with one voice in Europe", Austria's positions within the government must be "jointly coordinated" and then implemented accordingly in the EU bodies, it states.

Another "guideline" mentioned is the condemnation of the Russian war of aggression. The government "sees Russia as a threat, especially to Europe". The government must also focus on international cooperation opportunities and on "strengthening Austria's resilience" against foreign influence. This particularly concerns espionage, disinformation, and interference in democratic elections.

Emphasis on "Rule of Law"

The "rule of law" is also emphasized. The basis is the legal system, particularly the Austrian constitution and laws, but also the ECHR, EU treaties, and the jurisprudence of courts such as the VfGH, ECtHR, and CJEU. Here, the ÖVP likely targets rumored wishes of the FPÖ, according to which EU law should not take precedence over national law in the form of the jurisprudence of the ECtHR and CJEU. The government should also take "effective measures against fake news and disinformation" - this point was reportedly a contentious issue until the end, according to leaked negotiation protocols.

In terms of security, the People's Party also demands the "neutrality-compliant" defense of airspace against missiles and drones. The People's Party explicitly mentions the planned European procurement platform "Sky Shield", against which the FPÖ had spoken out until recently, mainly citing neutrality concerns. The necessity of the international "unrestricted" cooperation of intelligence services is also named as a "top priority".

A clear commitment and appropriate measures are also demanded regarding the demarcation against political and religious extremes - this applies to left-wing extremism, right-wing extremism, or religiously motivated extremism such as political Islam, while simultaneously emphasizing the protection of minorities. The point that no new asylum applications should be temporarily accepted and family reunification should be suspended to prevent "overburdening" is likely to meet with the approval of the FPÖ.

(APA/Red)

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