Coalition talks in Austria have ended. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced that no agreement was reached on fundamental issues in the coalition talks between his Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) and the centre-left Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) and the talks were terminated.
“WE WILL NOT ACCEPT NEW TAXES”
Nehammer said, “It is not possible to reach an agreement with the SPÖ on key points. The ÖVP stands by its promises: We will not accept new taxes or measures that will harm social assistance and business. “For this reason, we are ending negotiations with the SPÖ and will not continue them,” he said, announcing that he would resign in the coming days.
THE MEETINGS HAD REACHED A DEADLINE
The liberal Neos party, which took part in the coalition talks yesterday, announced that it withdrew from the talks. Neos leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger informed Prime Minister Nehammer, Social Democrat leader Andreas Babler and President Alexander Van der Bellen that her party “will not continue” the talks to form a new government, and stated that there was no progress and no agreement was reached on “fundamental reforms”.
THE FAR RIGHT WAS COMING FIRST
In the general elections held in Austria on September 29, the far-right Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) achieved a historic victory and came first in the ballot box for the first time. Prime Minister Karl Nehammer’s party, the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), ranked second, the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) ranked third, Neos ranked fourth, and the Greens ranked fifth. Parties with power in the parliament did not want to take part in a coalition with the far-right FPÖ. Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen gave the task of forming a government to conservative Prime Minister Karl Nehammer in October. Nehammer was trying to form a coalition government with the Social Democrats and the liberal Neos party.
Source: UAV