"All doors open"

Preventing Kickl: SPÖ & NEOS court ÖVP again

Coalition poker: NEOS leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger and Vienna's mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) want to resume the three-way talks with the ÖVP.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA)

The SPÖ and NEOS are determined to prevent a blue-black government under Chancellor Herbert Kickl. On Tuesday, Vienna's mayor Michael Ludwig and the pink leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger went all out to do just that and, above all, courted the favor of the People's Party for a resumption of tripartite negotiations. Lower Austria's governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP), however, was skeptical.

SPÖ leader Andreas Babler recently offered to resume negotiations or support a government of experts.

"Enormous challenges"
"Our hand is outstretched. Now it is up to the ÖVP to take it," emphasized Ludwig, who spoke of a "historic situation" and "enormous challenges". It was necessary to consolidate the budget without completely cutting off the economy. In addition, the business location must be strengthened and every job must be fought for.

This requires a federal government that plays an active role in the European Union, upholds democratic rights and pulls together constructively: "A federal government that moves Austria forward." The good of the state must always take precedence over the good of the party, explained Ludwig.

"Self-appointed, power-hungry people's chancellor"
 Meinl-Reisinger spoke of her bewilderment at the FPÖ and especially party leader Herbert Kickl, who is presenting himself as a "self-appointed, power-hungry people's chancellor" and is seeking humiliation and revenge against the ÖVP. A strict anti-EU course and massive attacks on the rule of law are to be expected from the Freedom Party.

"I am convinced that Austria deserves better, and yes, there are alternatives to this situation, to this tyranny of the FPÖ," she said. The ÖVP is not at the mercy of this. "All doors are open to the ÖVP," she said: "If it wants to, it can also take a different path."

I am convinced that Austria deserves better, and yes, there are alternatives to this situation, to this tyranny of the FPÖ.

NEOS-Chefin Beate Meinl-Reisinger

NEOS leader: "SPÖ must move to the center"
As NEOS leader, she had already offered not only support for reform in the event of a merger between the ÖVP and SPÖ, but also a minority government of ÖVP and NEOS when she left the negotiations at the end of January. From the comments made by the SPÖ and the Greens, she understood that they were also open to such a scenario. She was also ready for new tripartite talks, "also in a moderating role". Meinl-Reisinger qualified, however, that the SPÖ would have to "move to the center".

Mikl-Leitner: "SPÖ pushed ÖVP and NEOS away from the negotiating table"
Lower Austria's ÖVP Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner was skeptical about resuming talks with the SPÖ and NEOS. The SPÖ had made "retro-socialist demands" and "pushed the ÖVP and NEOS away from the negotiating table" during the talks. The fact that they are now pretending that their hand is outstretched "seems implausible to me", said Mikl-Leitner. The option of a minority government brought up by the NEOS does not currently exist due to the ongoing government negotiations.

Lower Austria's ÖVP governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner(Bild: APA/Helmut Fohringer)

Mikl-Leitner also criticized Kickl's current stance: "If I want to become Chancellor of this Republic, then that is also a great responsibility. Of course, this responsibility also involves the ability to compromise and, above all, the ability to build bridges in order to create compromises and common approaches."

Blue-black negotiations resume
Despite many differences and a sometimes sour mood, the coalition negotiations between the FPÖ and ÖVP continued in parliament on Tuesday morning. Kickl spoke in advance of "five good years" that they wanted to give the country. He said that the Ministry of the Interior was in the best hands with the FPÖ. Harald Mahrer, President of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, had sharper words to say in advance.