Breaking down barriers

“FPÖ with a declaration of love to the People’s Party”

(Bild: krone.tv)

While the SPÖ around Team Andreas Babler is putting up barriers to a possible coalition with the ÖVP, the FPÖ is trying to break them down. The Freedom Party's election program can be seen as a "declaration of love to the People's Party", says political expert Christoph Haselmayer in the krone.tv talk. 

The SPÖ was once again seething. First the Brucknerhaus affair surrounding Linz's former mayor Klaus Lugern, then the criticism of the election program of the second National Council President Doris Bures. Criticism that was entirely justified, as Haselmayer explains. "As a long-standing member of the government, she naturally knows that you have to make compromises and approach each other." However, the fact that this statement ended up in the media says a lot about the state of social democracy.

A letter from Doris Bures that has become public puts Andreas Babler in trouble.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

This shows that Babler not only has a problem with the Doskozil camp, but is fighting on several fronts, according to Haselmayer. "Many do not trust Babler to lead this party - on the contrary."

"They can't do opposition"
It is even possible that a Lower Austria 2.0 could happen again. "After the last state election in Lower Austria, it was relatively clear at the beginning that there would be cooperation between the ÖVP and the SPÖ. This then collapsed at the end of the day and Udo Landbauer and his FPÖ came into power." Many within the SPÖ fear that the hurdles for cooperation with the ÖVP are too high. It is now urgently necessary for the SPÖ to take on government responsibility. "Because you know one thing you can't do - opposition."

Presenter Jana Pasching in conversation with political expert Christoph Haselmayer

(Bild: krone.tv)

If the FPÖ comes first, Haselmayer believes that the party will probably not be in government. If, contrary to expectations, the FPÖ comes second and the ÖVP first, there will probably be a coalition with the Blue Party, estimates Christoph Haselmayer. "Otherwise there will be a three-party option." Even if this would be a no-go in the eyes of the population due to the example of Germany.

"... then we'll vote again in 2025"
However, it is not impossible that all parties will maneuver themselves into a coalition - both in terms of topics and personnel: "If you make the hurdles too high, that a coalition generally falls apart, that you generally don't come together, then in my view we will have a new election between April and June 2025. According to Haselmayer, there is at least a 50 percent chance of this happening from today's perspective.