After NEOS withdrawal

ÖVP and SPÖ now continue negotiations alone

SPÖ leader Andreas Babler and ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer are now at the negotiating table without the NEOS.

(Bild: APA/Georg Hochmuth)

There were only two of them left: after the NEOS surprisingly pulled out of the coalition negotiations on Friday, the ÖVP and SPÖ are now trying to negotiate alone. Negotiations continued in the Federal Chancellery from 1 pm. 

A government alliance between the two would only be very weakly secured, as they only have one mandate overhang in the National Council after the election on September 29.

Discussions in a larger group
The SPÖ said that talks were planned in a larger group. In addition to party leader Andreas Babler, federal managing director Sandra Breiteneder, trade unionist Josef Muchitsch and club leader Philip Kucher will also be present. There has been no feedback from the ÖVP for the time being.

In a press statement, Beate Meinl-Reisinger explained that the SPÖ was not prepared to implement reforms during the talks.

(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

Surprising NEOS withdrawal
The NEOS' abandonment of the intended three-party coalition not only surprised the other two parties on Friday, but also Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. After lurking around each other for some time, the People's Party and the Social Democrats finally announced that they still wanted to continue negotiations. Van der Bellen explained that the mandate to ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer to form a government still applied. He had made it "very clear" to both party leaders that the further formation of a government must happen "without delay".

The FPÖ, the clear winner of the elections on September 29, 2024, had demanded Nehammer's immediate resignation on Friday. Only Herbert Kickl as chancellor could put an end to "this chaos", according to Secretary General Michael Schnedlitz. The Greens, a potential further government partner of the ÖVP and SPÖ, emphasized that Health Minister Johannes Rauch would not be available as a stopgap.