Austria has formed a new government, five months after the election and after protracted negotiations. The conservative ÖVP, the social democratic SPÖ and the liberal NEOS have agreed on a coalition.
On Sunday, NEOS members gave the green light for the party’s entry into government with a 94.13 percent approval rate and simultaneously adopted the negotiated government program.
Party chair Beate Meinl-Reisinger expressed relief, but also acknowledged a challenging process, stating that the negotiations had been demanding, at times even “at the limits of what was bearable.” Nevertheless, the NEOS had been able to bring in central concerns, even if the program did not consistently bear the mark of the pink team.
Meinl-Reisinger emphasized that the real work was only just beginning, as coalition work meant daily negotiations. In the next five years, it would be crucial to make liberal reform projects visible – a Herculean task in the face of the dominant coalition partners ÖVP and SPÖ.
Internal skepticism was not entirely extinguished. Not all prominent party members had been in favor of a rigid, theme-based cooperation in parliament, instead of being bound to the two larger parties. The concern was that the NEOS might be torn between the blocks and sacrifice their reform agenda.
Meinl-Reisinger countered this criticism with a bold approach, convincing the skeptics with “clear arguments and visible passion” in internal meetings. Apparently, she was successful, as the vote in the end was decisive.
Christoph Wiederkehr, Vienna’s vice mayor and future education minister, also campaigned vigorously for the government’s participation. In times of geopolitical tension, Austria needed a stable government with a clear pro-European orientation, he said. Stagnation, particularly in the education sector, could no longer be afforded.
The coalition, however, remains a bet on the future – and not without risk. The composition of the SPÖ-led government team with predominantly left-wing politicians causes unease among the economically liberal NEOS. The fear of a “leftward drift” that would dilute the reform agenda remains latent. The party leadership tries to allay these concerns by emphasizing that the NEOS will remain recognizable as modernizers and reformers.
To ensure broad support from the party base, the NEOS leadership invested a significant effort. Functionaries and members of parliament were obliged to contact members personally and explain the advantages of the coalition agreement. Each of these calls was documented in writing – an unusual mobilization strategy for a liberal party.
If all goes according to plan, the new federal government will be sworn in on Monday and the government declaration in parliament will follow on Friday. Meinl-Reisinger, Wiederkehr and their team will officially take on political responsibility – and have set themselves a “reform marathon.