Kunasek and Drexler

Departure! Blue and black negotiate at the airport

Mario Kunasek and Christopher Drexler with their negotiating team

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian)

At Graz Airport, Mario Kunasek takes off for government negotiations with Christopher Drexler, whom the election winner has brought on board as a possible coalition partner. The government is to be in place by the time the new provincial parliament meets on December 18.

The FPÖ and ÖVP did not choose the usual venues - the media center in Graz's Hofgasse, the castle or the Landhaus - to appear before the public as newly "engaged" parties: No, the venue for the first joint press conference was Graz Airport, apparently as a symbol of new beginnings. This is where the leaders of the two parties now want to negotiate a coalition agreement quickly.

Kunasek: "No time to lose"
"There are many overlaps in terms of content with the People's Party. We assume that it will soon be possible to form a stable, viable state government," said election winner Mario Kunasek. There is no time to lose, a cash fall must take place immediately. This "presentation of the budget" was the basis for further talks.

Mario Kunasek and Christopher Drexler at Graz Airport

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian)

"There was a very constructive basis for discussion with Mario Kunasek and the FPÖ in the exploratory talks," emphasized Christopher Drexler, who is still governor of the province. He hopes for "good results in the negotiations", although there is still no guarantee of this, "but at least we are very motivated at the start". On Wednesday, the topic of employment and the economy will be on the agenda, "Styria as a business location is under scrutiny", said the ÖVP leader.

"I would not presume"
Can Kunasek and Drexler even get along? Neither of them, at least, are showing anything to the contrary. In the previous week, a Styrian print medium reported that the FPÖ leader would only bring the ÖVP into the state government without Drexler. "I never said that to the governor and I wouldn't presume to. That's fake news, it's a newspaper hoax," said Kunasek.

Negotiating teams in place
The negotiating teams of both parties each consist of three people: In addition to Kunasek, the FPÖ also has state party secretary Stefan Hermann and club director Michael Klug. In addition to Drexler, the ÖVP team also includes the two previous state councillors Werner Amon and Barbara Eibinger-Miedl. However, Drexler explained that the teams of three can be strengthened by a fourth person in certain areas. In the case of the ÖVP, for example, this would be the two other state councillors Karlheinz Kornhäusl and Simone Schmiedtbauer.