Upper Austrian asylum counselor

ÖVP negotiator: “I was skeptical from the start”

Negotiated the "Zuckerl-Koalition" for the ÖVP: Upper Austrian Integration Councillor Christian Dörfel.

(Bild: Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

Upper Austria's State Councillor for Integration Dr. Christian Dörfel (ÖVP) was in Vienna twice as a negotiator for the Zuckerl coalition; the third meeting before Christmas did not take place at all: The constitutional lawyer was in the Justice, Constitution and Rule of Law subgroup. Although he "didn't have a good feeling from the start", he was surprised by the withdrawal of the Neos. 

"Yes, it was very difficult right from the start," admits ÖVP politician Christian Dörfel, who succeeded ÖVP ascendant Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer in the Linz Landhaus, in an interview with the "Krone" newspaper on Friday morning: "But I didn't expect it to be over now." However, Dörfel also said: "The positions of the individual parties were sometimes so far apart that everyone would have had to jump over their shadows."

"Headlines alone are not enough"
Dörfel negotiated in the rule of law group with colleagues from the SPÖ and Neos. Sitting opposite him were the pink Nikolaus Scherak and SPÖ ex-minister Jörg Leichtfried. And even in this group, which did not deal with the all-important issues of the budget or finances, it was difficult: "The more you went into detail, the more difficult it became. But headlines alone are not enough. It all needs to be properly worked out."

"New elections are the worst solution"
It is still unclear what will happen next. "There were no signs that this final step would be taken." For the mayor of the municipality of Steinbach an der Steyr and experienced police professional, only one thing is certain: "New elections are definitely the worst solution."

Former provincial governor Josef Pühringer says: "The ÖVP and SPÖ still have a majority together."

(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

Upper Austria's former governor Josef Pühringer, previously often one of the architects of a black-red or red-black coalition, advises his party colleagues in Vienna to remain calm. "Even if the Neos drop out now: The ÖVP and the SPÖ still have a majority in parliament with each other. I assume that both parties will continue to negotiate anyway."

Could Nehammer and Babler now get the Greens on board for a "three-way deal" instead of the Neos? "That is still an alternative," says the ÖVP politician, not ruling out the possibility of involving the Green Party: "Nehammer and Babler should now come to a consensus. I also assume that Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen will give the order to continue negotiations," says Pühringer.

Alois Stöger

(Bild: APA/HANS PUNZ)

SPÖ is still prepared to take responsibility
The new party chairman of the SPÖ in Upper Austria, Alois Stöger, also spoke at lunchtime. He himself was a minister in Vienna for many years, so he can certainly assess the events well. He said to the "Krone" newspaper: "Even after the exit of the NEOS, the ÖVP's mandate to form a government is still in place. What we can't do is raise the retirement age and increase VAT, because that would be at the expense of working people. Structural changes are needed for the people of Austria. We are still prepared to take responsibility."