"Axis of reason"

ÖVP state governor wants THIS coalition after the election

Styrian Governor Christopher Drexler (ÖVP) is hoping for a comeback of black-red in the federal government after the national elections.

(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Following Tyrol's governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP), his Styrian counterpart and party colleague Christopher Drexler is now also openly toying with a comeback of black-red at federal level after the national elections on September 29. He clearly rejected a collaboration with the Kickl-FPÖ. 

Drexler (ÖVP) reiterated that he would like to see a "federal government as an axis of reason".

Drexler skeptical about Babler
The SPÖ could certainly be part of this, even if the party's course has moved more to the left and away from the center with the Social Democratic lead candidate Andreas Babler: "But you don't know whether he will still be chairman after the election."

Babler has one or two positions that I don't share. But I believe that when it comes to competitiveness and location, the SPÖ, with its strong trade union wing and Chamber of Labor officials, is definitely a partner.

Der steirische Landeshauptmann Christopher Drexler (ÖVP)

"Babler has one or two positions that I don't share - for example, everything to do with the working time debate or the necessary performance incentives. But I believe that when it comes to competitiveness and location, the SPÖ, with its strong trade union wing and Chamber of Labor officials, is definitely a partner," said Drexler.

Drexler rules out FPÖ and KPÖ
For him, a coalition with FPÖ party leader Herbert Kickl is just as out of the question as with the KPÖ. After five years of coalition with the Greens, his "longing for the best of both worlds is pretty much satisfied".

Kickl a "worrying political personality" for Drexler
The decisive factor is that the ÖVP is doing everything it can "to ensure that Kickl does not have a relative majority". He considers him to be a "worrying political personality" and "I fear that he now believes in his own conspiracy stories".

In terms of democratic policy, it is regrettable "that Kickl is holding the FPÖ hostage, because I would be delighted if the FPÖ were to develop in a direction where it could be considered as a potential government partner. This is definitely not the case at the moment," the governor stated.

Third place for the ÖVP would be a "disappointment"
Drexler did not want to set a bar for the desired ÖVP result in the National Council elections. He would be satisfied if the ÖVP came first. "We want to achieve as good a result as possible. But if a result is bad, we will also recognize that it is bad." A third place, as is to be feared according to recent polls, would be "disappointing". However, he does not believe that the People's Party will finish third.