These are contentious issues

No breakthrough yet in coalition negotiations

Coalition negotiations between the FPÖ and ÖVP will continue at the weekend.(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Coalition negotiations between the FPÖ and ÖVP continue this weekend. So far there is no breakthrough in sight. The current topics of the talks are media and foreign policy, including the ORF budget levy.

The Freedom Party wants to abolish the recently introduced budget levy, while the ÖVP has so far opposed it. The People's Party's offer to retain the budget levy but not to increase it in the coming years has been rejected by its negotiating partner.

Foreign policy and the EU are also hot topics. The Turkish negotiators are insisting on a commitment to the Union. Blue MEP Petra Steger, on the other hand, has described the European Parliament as the "heart of injustice".

There are also differing views on the Sky Shield air defense programme. The majority of the FPÖ are likely to be against it. "Personally, I would probably say yes to the project from a military point of view," said former Defense Minister Mario Kunasek (FPÖ). However, the "neutrality law level" must be taken into account. "You have to take a close look".

No pause in negotiations
The ÖVP and FPÖ do not want to take a break from negotiations. The subgroups are to hold further meetings at the weekend. The semester break will also be used. There is still no concrete timetable. Participants in the talks assume that no agreement will be reached before mid-February.

On Friday afternoon, the student representatives called for a demonstration against a possible blue-black coalition in Vienna. It criticized alleged plans to raise tuition fees to 1000 euros per year. Currently, 363.36 euros are charged per semester if the planned period of study is exceeded by more than two semesters.