Jörg Leichtfried

Red ex-minister is in favor of the free play of forces

Jörg Leichtfried, deputy party leader of the SPÖ(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Felicitas Matern, Reinhard Holl)

The influential Upper Styrian Jörg Leichtfried (SPÖ), deputy leader of the SPÖ and former minister and MEP, warns in an interview with "Krone" against an even longer standstill in the federal government. He brings a parliamentary system like the one in Brussels into play - it would be a revolution.

In the seemingly endless blue-black coalition poker game, SPÖ deputy leader Jörg Leichtfried is now running out of patience. After more than four months of negotiations, Austria is currently experiencing a latent government crisis and a way out of the "legislative standstill" is not yet in sight. This is why the former Styrian MP in Brussels, former provincial councillor and former transport minister has made a suggestion to the "Krone" newspaper for a way out of the impasse.

Between 2004 and 2015, he had experienced a completely different political approach in the EU Parliament: in contrast to national parliaments, the mandataries there are responsible for legislation without fixed coalitions. This model could be a role model for Austria in the current situation.

"MEPs have to look for majorities"
"In this type of parliamentary democracy, the National Council makes the laws and the government implements them. This would also be more in line with the principle of separation of powers than the current system. The individual MPs would have to look for majorities in parliament - there would be no need for a fixed coalition or a government program," explains Leichtfried. Members of the government could be appointed on the basis of majorities.

Many things could be implemented immediately in the next parliamentary session. Especially in times of crisis, we need responsible legislators and not petty squabbles over ministerial posts and post haggling.

Jörg Leichtfried, stellvertretender Klubchef der SPÖ

Bild: Felicitas Matern

The advantages would be obvious for the Upper Styrian, also in view of the failure of the Zuckerl coalition: "With the ÖVP and Neos, there were promising approaches and concrete ideas to move Austria forward." A "responsible free play of forces in the National Council instead of post haggling" is now the order of the day.