Austria’s political impasse has finally come to an end as the country swore in a new government on Monday, marking the conclusion of five months of coalition negotiations. Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen officiated the swearing-in ceremony, formally installing Christian Stocker, leader of the People’s Party, as the new chancellor.
The new administration is a three-party coalition comprising the People’s Party, the Social Democratic Party, and NEOS. Andreas Babler, chairman of the Social Democratic Party, has taken up the role of vice chancellor, while Beate Meinl-Reisinger, the NEOS leader, assumes the position of foreign minister. The swearing-in follows the three parties’ joint presentation of their government program last week, outlining their policy priorities.
Austria’s prolonged political deadlock was unprecedented in its modern history, making this the longest period the country has waited for a new government following a general election. The parliamentary elections last September saw the far-right Freedom Party emerge as the leading political force with approximately 29 percent of the vote. However, despite their victory, the Freedom Party faced exclusion from coalition negotiations by all major parties, prolonging the stalemate.
Initially, Van der Bellen tasked the People’s Party with forming a government in October, leading to negotiations with the Social Democrats and NEOS. However, these talks collapsed in early January, forcing a second attempt at forming a coalition between the People’s Party and the Social Democrats. This effort also failed.
In mid-January, in a surprising turn of events, the president granted the Freedom Party a mandate to form a government. However, these talks also collapsed by mid-February, further extending Austria’s political uncertainty.
In late February, the People’s Party, the Social Democrats, and NEOS revived their coalition talks, ultimately reaching an agreement to govern together. This deal has paved the way for the new government, which now faces the challenge of addressing pressing national and economic issues while maintaining stability in Austria’s political landscape.
With Stocker at the helm, Austria looks to move forward from its prolonged deadlock, as the newly formed government embarks on its legislative agenda.
