Negotiations between three parties

First tripartite meeting on Monday

Nehammer, Meinl-Reisinger and Babler are looking for a compromise.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/ROLAND SCHLAGER/APA /picturedesk.com, ALEX HALADA/AFP/picturedesk.com, GEORG HOCHMUTH/APA/picturedesk.com)

The ÖVP and SPÖ resume exploratory talks on Monday. In the morning, party leaders Karl Nehammer, Andreas Babler and Beate Meinl-Reisinger will hold their first three-way talks. The large group then meets. A decision is made as to whether to try with a third partner or with the minimum majority. 

Six weeks after the election, the negotiations finally get underway. From now on, negotiations will take place every day. However, there are several tensions before the first six-eye talks. The ÖVP is surprised and at the same time angry with the Neos because they are once again publicly claiming the Ministry of Finance for themselves. "Now is not the time to discuss potential government posts, but content, reforms and projects that will help Austria and the people move forward. I assume that the Neos see it the same way," ÖVP Secretary General Christian Stocker tells the Pinken.

"Now it will be a matter of drawing the broad lines. " 
"Now it's time to draw the big lines," says an insider. Speculation about the distribution of portfolios is clearly premature. Although these issues are always involved in government negotiations, many things will only be decided at the last minute. 

Mood between ÖVP and SPÖ still frosty
Of course, there is also some irritation between the two "main negotiators", the SPÖ and ÖVP. The Reds are surprised that the Blacks are entering the negotiations in a relatively unyielding manner. The ÖVP, on the other hand, obviously thought it would be easier and is surprised that the SPÖ does not want to give it up cheaply. However, the will to reach an agreement is basically there. And there are strong supporters of cooperation in both parties, for the ÖVP these are Tyrol and Styria, for the SPÖ it is above all the Vienna SPÖ and the trade union that are campaigning for the "Zuckerl" coalition.

Defense for the SPÖ?
The latest rumors that the ÖVP could hand over the Ministry of the Interior to the SPÖ in order to keep the economy and finances are considered "not mega realistic" by a well-informed person. However, it is much more likely that the SPÖ will get the Ministry of Defense. The Tyrolean SP leader Georg Dornauer is said to have offered himself the job.

The SPÖ will almost certainly demand social affairs, employment and infrastructure. It will be interesting to see whether the ÖVP will take the Ministry of Justice, having suffered a real trauma there after numerous investigations and proceedings since the Turquoise-Blue government came to power in 2017. In Karoline Edtstadler, the logical candidate for this position has in any case jumped ship.

Walking a tightrope between austerity and investment
In terms of content, the budget deficit is increasingly becoming the main issue. The "true extent of the problem" is probably not yet known. There is a shortfall of around 16 billion euros. That means savings of around four billion per year! "That's brutal," says one insider. "We will need economic stimulus measures, and at the same time we will need to make savings." A two-party coalition with the smallest possible majority of 92 mandataries is also being discussed. But that would be "extremely costly", according to one mandatary. The ÖVP and SPÖ would have to tremble at every vote. The biggest advantage from the negotiators' point of view: a two-thirds majority is possible without the FPÖ (but with the Greens).