There was political turbulence in Austria on Saturday night after coalition talks between the country’s centrist parties broke down and Chancellor Karl Nehmammer announced his resignation. What happens next is unclear.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has announced he will stand down as head of his conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) after coalition talks with the Social Democrats (SPÖ) collapsed.
“I will stand down as chancellor and as leader of the People’s Party in the coming days and enable an orderly transition,” Nehammer said in a video statement on social media
Austria: Chancellor to resign after coalition talks collapse
There was political turbulence in Austria on Saturday night after coalition talks between the country’s centrist parties broke down and Chancellor Karl Nehmammer announced his resignation. What happens next is unclear.
After talks between Austria’s centrist parties collapsed, Chancellor Nehammer announced his resignation.Image: Tobias Steinmaurer/APA/dpa/picture alliance
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has announced he will stand down as head of his conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) after coalition talks with the Social Democrats (SPÖ) collapsed.
“I will stand down as chancellor and as leader of the People’s Party in the coming days and enable an orderly transition,” Nehammer said in a video statement on social media.
The conservative ÖVP and center-left SPÖ had been engaged in negotiations aimed at forming a coalition government without the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ).
The liberal NEOS party had already withdrawn from talks on Friday.
“We have negotiated long and hard [but] an agreement with the SPÖ on key points is not possible,” said Nehammer, who became chancellor in December 2021.
“The People’s Party is sticking to its promises: We will not agree to economically damaging, anti-growth policies or new taxes,” he insisted, accusing the Social Democrats of being too radical.
“It is evident that the destructive forces within the SPÖ have gained the upper hand,” he claimed. “It is my deep conviction that radicals do not offer a solution to a single problem. Therefore we shall not be continuing negotiations with the SPÖ.”
SPÖ boss Adreas Babler accused the ÖVP of playing tactical political games.
“We know what threatens to happen now,” Babler said. “An FPÖ-ÖVP government with a right-wing extremist chancellor that will endanger our democracy on many points.”
