To put the brakes on Kickl

Zuckerl agrees on strict asylum course

ÖVP leader Christian Stocker, SPÖ leader Andreas Babler and NEOS federal party leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

Things got heated in the House on Tuesday. The FPÖ, winner of the election and spurned party of the chancellor, came out for revenge, including its leader Herbert Kickl.

The tenor from negotiating circles is: "If you want to slow Kickl down, you have to deliver." The focus was now on the failed asylum policy, including ÖVP Minister Gerhard Karner. There was a demand for a new election (rejected) and an urgent question on the topic of "IS terror in Villach due to blatant failure of the authorities" (following the knife attack by an Islamist).

Remarkable: During the attacks, FPÖ National Council President Walter Rosenkranz called his party colleague Christian Hafenecker to order for using the word "shabby". In the context of the expected exchange of blows, concrete details from the coalition negotiations also leaked out. The ÖVP, SPÖ and Neos agreed on a restrictive approach to asylum and migration. There are four agreed points.

Firstly: stricter recognition of asylum status; secondly: "return centers" for people to be deported or whose asylum applications have been rejected; thirdly: a mandatory integration year from the first day - non-compliance could have consequences (details still to be determined); fourthly: a temporary stop to family reunification for asylum seekers.

Package for affordable housing
As was announced on Tuesday, the parties have apparently also met in the golden mean on this difficult issue for the ÖVP, but also for the NEOS. They have apparently agreed on a package for affordable housing. A housing investment bank to make home ownership more affordable is also being considered. The SPÖ received support for its request from the Supreme Court.