"Will Bring Major Reforms": Eagerly Awaiting Government Program
ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS are said to have agreed on a reform of the directive leadership in the judiciary during their coalition negotiations. Instead of the department head, an independent body will make the final decision in prominent cases, reports "Kurier" and "Kronen Zeitung".
The "Krone" also reports an agreement on housing matters. Rent prices are to be frozen for three years. According to a report by the "Standard", the same applies to the ORF fee, which is not to be adjusted for inflation until 2029.
Negotiations continue on still open substantive points, and according to NEOS, there are "several" of these. A date for the presentation aimed for mid-week is still pending. While the distribution of ministries is clarified, the parties are still wrestling over appointments.
According to Vienna's Deputy Mayor Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS), not much is missing for the conclusion of the coalition negotiations. They met again for a long time yesterday and achieved major breakthroughs, he said on Tuesday. "There will be major reforms, simply because the budget pressure is so high."
The parties are still aiming for a presentation of the government program on Wednesday or Thursday. The upcoming Monday is considered a possible swearing-in date, provided that the NEOS members approve a coalition agreement at their meeting on Sunday. The presidential office said on Tuesday that there has not yet been a request for a specific swearing-in date, but they are ready. However, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen wants to meet the candidates for a ministerial office, who are not yet personally known to him, for a conversation beforehand. Nevertheless, the parties are likely aiming for Monday to avoid an inauguration on Shrove Tuesday due to its symbolism. From the perspective of the presidential office, a swearing-in on Ash Wednesday is out of the question because the Federal President is abroad then.
Coalition Negotiations: Struggle Over Ministry Appointments Within the Parties
The parties did not want to reveal which substantive details are still being negotiated in the coalition talks. According to NEOS, however, there are "several" open points. They remain positive that these can be resolved, it was said. The question of the distribution of ministries among the parties is considered resolved - with six departments each for ÖVP and SPÖ and two for NEOS. Additionally, they have agreed on seven state secretaries, three each for ÖVP and SPÖ, and one for NEOS. A corresponding report by the "Standard" was confirmed to the APA from negotiation circles.
The number of state secretaries is likely to be unusually high. As confirmed to the APA from negotiating circles, a report by the "Standard" states that the three parties have agreed on seven. Since the first government under Werner Faymann (SPÖ) in 2008, there have never been more than four. A total of eight state secretaries were in the red-blue coalition under Chancellor Fred Sinowatz. The last SPÖ-led single government under Bruno Kreisky even had nine after some changes. Formally, state secretaries are not considered members of the federal government. They participate in the Council of Ministers but do not have voting rights. They are assigned to individual ministers, support them, and can also represent them in the National Council. In the coalition governments that have been active in Austria for long periods, state secretaries often also had the role of a "controller" in the ministry led by the "other" party.
However, the appointments within the parties may still be open in part. The clearest picture so far is with the ÖVP, where the current ministers in the Interior, Defense, and Agriculture are expected to remain in office. There appears to be more need for discussion within the SPÖ, where internal negotiations are still ongoing for the important ministries of Finance, Infrastructure, and Justice. For the Ministry of Finance, alongside former ORF chief Alexander Wrabetz and Salzburg National Council member Michaela Schmidt, Vienna City Councilor Peter Hanke has also been mentioned again. On Tuesday evening, the SPÖ presidium discussed content. The Social Democrats plan to vote on the government program and their personnel on Friday - provided everything is ready by then.
Minister List Not Yet Finalized for NEOS
According to Wiederkehr, the minister list for NEOS is also not yet finalized. This decision will be made in the committees. The personnel package and the content program would then be presented to the general assembly on Sunday. Regarding speculation about a return of former NEOS leader Matthias Strolz, who has publicly expressed interest in the position of Minister of Education, he stated to journalists on Tuesday that he appreciates both him as a person and his drive. "It's good that there are options." Wiederkehr himself is also frequently mentioned as a potential Minister of Education.
Wiederkehr did not want to overemphasize criticism from within his own ranks, such as that from Tyrolean NEOS leader Dominik Oberhofer. "There are always individual opinions." Wiederkehr intends to remain the top candidate for the Vienna municipal council election - the Vienna general assembly elected him for this role last weekend.
The SPÖ is trying to bring its top personnel along in the final stages of the coalition negotiations. A presidium meeting started on Tuesday evening, where they wanted to discuss the negotiation status or the almost finalized coalition agreement. No one wanted to comment on the rumored internal SPÖ power struggle before the start. The further schedule: Once the government program is in place, the SPÖ committees are to vote on it and the minister list on Friday.
It is currently difficult to predict which names will ultimately be on it. It is unlikely that the corresponding decisions will be made in the meeting that has now begun, as the arriving party leaders emphasized that the focus is initially on content. Ultimately, party leader Andreas Babler will likely find it challenging to push through all his proposals without causing too much disruption.
Rumors About a Portfolio for Babler
There are actually only two fixed things in the red team. Women's leader Eva Maria Holzleitner is supposed to take over the Ministry of Women and ÖGB Vice Korinna Schumann the Ministry of Social Affairs after the early withdrawal of GPA leader Barbara Teiber. It is, of course, clear that Babler will become Vice Chancellor. However, it is not yet fixed which functions he will take on in addition. Recently, the rumor has arisen that he could lead the powerful but also time-consuming infrastructure department.
This would leave no room for the Lower Austrian state leader Sven Hergovich, with whom Babler is anything but friendly, but who enjoys the strong support of the Third President of the National Council, Doris Bures. As an alternative to Babler himself, ÖBB manager Silvia Angelo, who comes from the ÖGB, is also being considered.
Finance Ministry Central Question
If the party leader himself took over, the culture and media agendas would be free, which could then be offered to the former ORF chief Alexander Wrabetz. However, he is the candidate of the powerful Vienna city party for the finance department.
But Babler also has other plans here and wants to install a confidante in this central position, namely the Salzburg National Council member Michaela Schmidt. Although she is considered quite competent, she does not necessarily have the best standing with the ÖVP and NEOS. As a compromise candidate, Vienna's Finance City Councillor Peter Hanke has recently emerged.
It will also be difficult for Babler to push through the former State Secretary for Integration, Muna Duzdar, for the Ministry of Justice. Although the early supporter of Babler is from Vienna, she is so poorly regarded in the city party that she was not even offered promising places for the National Council election. Additionally, the lawyer has already caused negative headlines with a controversial post regarding the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, where she openly blamed NATO for the situation. She is now also being considered for a state secretariat either for media or integration.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.