Blue-black wobbles

President already prepared for expert government

Alexander Van der Bellen is in demand again: he may have to deal with new elections, or experts may be appointed if the blue-black coalition fails.(Bild: Imre Antal)

What happens if the FPÖ and ÖVP are unable to agree on a coalition after all? The Federal President has plenty of room for maneuver. And he already has plans for all possible scenarios in the drawer.

The Federal President is slowly losing his patience. Alexander Van der Bellen is not prone to spontaneous outbursts like others, such as his colleague Trump. Nevertheless, Van der Bellen discreetly tells his presumed coalition partners, the FPÖ and ÖVP, that the ball is now in their court. That means swiftly.

Van der Bellen unequivocal
After all, the country is currently in the longest coalition negotiations of the Second Republic and not necessarily in a prosperous phase. "The ball is now in the parties' court," the head of state stated unequivocally when asked by the "Krone" newspaper.

Of course, he is prepared for anything that could happen if the FPÖ and ÖVP fail to reach an agreement. "We have plans in the drawer for all scenarios. That is also required by the constitution. There must always be a government capable of acting."

Expert government could be likely
Concrete and not unrealistic announcements have recently emerged in this regard. For example, the idea of installing former renowned politicians who enjoy the respect of the population. The constitution gives the president enormous leeway when it comes to appointing governments.

Another option is the frequently mentioned government of experts, which was suggested by Van der Bellen's predecessor Heinz Fischer, among others. The current president installed such a government on an interim basis after Ibiza and the resulting turbulence. And he is not ruling it out today either. We are prepared for anything.

Former Vice-Chancellor: "There's not much else left"
Under the now deceased former Supreme Court judge Brigitte Bierlein, he had experts manage the office. Clemens Jabloner was Vice-Chancellor at the time, also a high court judge, and spoke to the "Krone" about this. Is Fischer right?

"Possibly yes, there is not much else left if there are new elections. Then you still won't have a new government for a few months. The current 'provisional' one is losing substance."