Austria’s political landscape was rocked on Friday when the liberal Neos party, the smallest member of ongoing coalition talks, announced its exit from negotiations. The move, led by Neos leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger, leaves the future of the discussions in jeopardy, as the party criticized the talks for lacking ambition and making insufficient progress.
The talks had already been conducted among Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s conservative People’s Party (OVP), the Social Democrats (SPO), and Neos; however, that now stands to be put at risk following liberal party withdrawal. Meinl-Reisinger, however pointed out that although they were withdrawing themselves from the talk, they remain open to collaborating on certain agreed projects during negotiation.
The exit happens at a precarious moment for the government formation in Austria. The far-right, eurosceptic Freedom Party (FPO), that has won 29% in the election that took place on September 29, had been excluded from the coalition negotiations. The party, which became more popular and expresses a pro-Russia position, condemned the discussions going on presently as undemocratic and accused other parties of striking a “coalition of losers.”
Meinl-Reisinger’s resignation now also raises questions of whether a stable government is feasible, since OVP and SPO, in case they will continue to establish a two-party coalition, will have only one seat majority in the lower house, which is precarious.
Spokesmen for the OVP and SPO were unavailable for comment as the situation developed. The political deadlock has placed the next Austrian government in limbo as parties reposition themselves.
