Without an expiration date

“Provisional government”: this is the only change

(Bild: APA/HANS KLAUS TECHT)

Since Wednesday, the former Turkish-Green government has only been a "temporary government" and without a Vice-Chancellor. This function is not planned. However, the chancellor remains chancellor. A period without a head of government is not provided for in the constitution. The provisional government has no expiration date.

Theoretically, the government could continue like this for years. In reality, of course, this is not possible because it does not have a majority in the National Council and could be dismissed by the latter at any time.

In practice
Legally, however, the government is not bound by the National Council. It would therefore not have had to offer its resignation to Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, but this is common practice after every election.

Alexander Van der Bellen with Karl Nehammer and Werner Kogler: The government was dismissed and reinstated on an interim basis.

(Bild: APA/HANS KLAUS TECHT)

Government retains its powers
The members of the government retain their powers, but it is customary that they no longer set the political course out of respect for their successors, but only manage business, as former Federal President Heinz Fischer recently emphasized in the "Krone" newspaper. Nevertheless, the members of the government are busy every day. They have to go to meetings in Brussels, they have to sign files and deal with other official business.

Werner Kogler (Greens) is "only" a minister now

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Kogler now "only" receives 19,000 euros gross per month
The only thing that has changed is the elimination of a Vice-Chancellor. This function is not provided for in the provisional federal government. Werner Kogler is now only a minister and is paid correspondingly less - 19,000 instead of 21,000 euros gross per month. If the worst comes to the worst, Chancellor Karl Nehammer will be represented by the longest-serving minister, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.

The spectre of re-election
The "temporary federal government" model only exists because it must be clear that there is never a time without a federal government, explain lawyers. The constitutions do not allow these functions to remain vacant. Constitutional lawyer Bernd Christian Funk believes that the Federal President has almost exhausted his options to date. He could theoretically dismiss the chancellor or the government, but not individual ministers. He can only do this on the recommendation of the Chancellor. He would also not be able to stop eternally long negotiations. The spectre of a new election, which is already being bandied about, could only be brought to reality by Parliament itself. That would probably only help Herbert Kickl and his FPÖ again.