Talks to form a new government in Austria collapsed after the Neos party withdrew, leaving the remaining parties with the slimmest possible majority. The Neos party, along with Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s ÖVP and the SPÖ, had been trying to forge a three-party coalition after the far-right FPÖ won national elections in September. However, Neos leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger stated that progress was impossible, citing disagreements over fiscal policy, such as raising the retirement age. The other parties had refused to work with FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl, who won 29.2% of the vote, leading the ÖVP and SPÖ to recruit a smaller party to bolster their majority.
With Neos pulling out, ÖVP and SPÖ now have the slimmest possible majority in parliament, with 92 out of 183 seats. While Neos indicated they would continue supporting policy points already agreed upon, the possibility of a fresh election remains. The FPÖ, whose support has increased since the election, welcomed this as an option. They ran on an anti-immigration and Euroskeptic platform, with leader Herbert Kickl being known for his controversial statements and opposition to vaccinations and lockdowns. Opposition parties had banded together to keep Kickl out of government, with Kickl dismissing coalition discussions as a “loser mess.”
The remaining parties could move forward in discussions or consider recruiting the Greens as a third partner instead of calling for a new election. Nehammer’s outgoing government had been a coalition between ÖVP and the Greens, two parties with differing ideologies that often disagreed. The FPÖ criticized potential further coalition agreements, cautioning against a three-party coalition based on the “German model,” which had collapsed before the end of its legislative term in Germany. Opinion polls indicated an increase in support for the FPÖ after the election, prompting speculation about the future political landscape in Austria.
The collapse of government talks highlights the challenges of forming a coalition in a divided political landscape. The failure to reach agreement on fundamental reforms and fiscal policy underscored the ideological differences between the parties involved. With uncertainty looming over the possibility of a fresh election or a renegotiation of coalition agreements, the future of Austrian governance remains unclear. The reluctance to work with controversial figures like Herbert Kickl has also contributed to the complexity of coalition-building in Austria, as parties grapple with balancing their own agendas with the need for stable government.
