ÖVP and SPÖ are determining their teams for the planned three-party coalition with the NEOS on Friday. Before that, however, the coalition program presented on Thursday must receive the majority approval of the respective board. This is considered a formality for both parties. It will be more exciting for the NEOS, who will only hold a member decision on Sunday, where a two-thirds majority must be achieved.

Infighting Over Ministerial Posts Breaks Out in SPÖ

Regarding personnel, things have been quite heated in the SPÖ over the past few days. It now seems clear who will occupy the ministerial posts. In addition to Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler, who is responsible for housing, media, culture, and sports, the largest departments will go to AK economist Markus Marterbauer as Finance Minister, Vienna's Finance City Councillor Peter Hanke as Infrastructure Minister, and ÖGB Women's Chairwoman Korinna Schumann as Social Minister. The Vice President of the Administrative Court Anna Sporrer will take over the Ministry of Justice, and SP Women's Chairwoman Eva Maria Holzleitner will become Minister for Women and Science.

Additionally, three state secretariats have been filled. The former Minister of Transport Jörg Leichtfried will be responsible for state security in the Ministry of the Interior. The previous Lower Austrian State Councillor Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig will oversee the health sector in the social department, and the Member of Parliament Michaela Schmidt will join the Chancellery. All those who have not yet been represented in the committees will be introduced to the party board today, such as Marterbauer and Sporrer.

ÖVP with Significantly Calmer Personnel Search

In the ÖVP, the personnel search was significantly calmer, which is also due to the fact that there are unlikely to be any changes in the Ministry of Defense with Klaudia Tanner, in the Ministry of the Interior with Gerhard Karner, and in the agricultural department with Norbert Totschnig. The new Chancellor will be the acting party leader Christian Stocker. The previous State Secretary Claudia Plakolm is expected to become the Minister responsible for youth in the Chancellery. It is still open who will take over the Ministry of Economy.

Speculations About State Secretariats

In addition, the two major parties still have to fill six state secretariats. First names leaked on Thursday evening. According to "Standard," the long-time Health State Councillor of Lower Austria, Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig, is expected to support Social Minister Schumann in the health sector. The former Minister of Transport Jörg Leichtfried will reportedly become State Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior responsible for state security, and Babler himself will receive support from the Member of Parliament Michaela Schmidt. The "Presse" speculates that the important state secretariat in the finance department will be filled by the Styrian State Councillor Barbara Eibinger-Miedl from the ÖVP.

(APA/Red)

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