A coalition agreement between the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS in Austria has been cleared, following a membership vote in which around 94 per cent of registered NEOS members cast their ballots in favor of the government pact, easily reaching the required two-thirds majority.
The path is now clear for the swearing-in of the new government on Monday, with the coalition program of the conservatives, social democrats and liberals having been officially presented on Thursday. Christian Stocker, the ÖVP chief, will take on the role of new Chancellor.
This marks the end of a prolonged phase of political uncertainty in the Alpine republic, as a coalition was initially aimed for after the National Council election on September 29, 2024, but ultimately failed to materialize. The ÖVP had subsequently engaged in talks with the right-conservative FPÖ, which emerged as the strongest force in the election but remains largely isolated and unable to form a majority government on its own.