After weeks of negotiations, Austria is set to have a new government without the participation of the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ). The conservative People’s Party (ÖVP), the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), and the liberal Neos have successfully reached a coalition agreement, marking a shift towards a centrist government.
Representatives from all three parties have confirmed the alliance and will present their coalition program to the public at 11 a.m. The government agenda, titled “Do the Right Thing Now. For Austria.”, is the result of intense discussions over recent days.
While the core agreement is in place, finalization is still pending. The ÖVP and SPÖ committees will convene on Friday to confirm the deal, while the Neos will hold a member vote on Sunday to approve the coalition agreement.
According to reports from Der Standard, negotiations on ministerial appointments continue, though the overall distribution of government positions has been determined. The ÖVP and SPÖ will each control six ministries, while the Neos will oversee two. Additionally, there will be seven state secretaries. Christian Stocker, leader of the ÖVP, is set to become chancellor, with SPÖ leader Andreas Babler serving as vice chancellor.
This coalition was formed in response to the FPÖ’s victory in the September parliamentary election. Initially, the ÖVP, SPÖ, and Neos attempted to build a centrist coalition to prevent the far-right party from leading the government. However, the talks collapsed in January after the Neos withdrew. Subsequent negotiations between the ÖVP and FPÖ for a two-party coalition also failed, leading to renewed discussions among the ÖVP, SPÖ, and Neos, which ultimately resulted in this agreement.
