"Intensive talks"

For the time being, only silence on the search for a government

(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER / APA / picturedesk.com)

Two days after the collapse of the blue-black coalition negotiations, the whole country is wondering what will happen next. The parties remained silent on Friday, although there were rumors of talks between the ÖVP and SPÖ. 

Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen had met the leaders of all parliamentary parties and sounded out what options are still possible. The most likely option is probably a black-red coalition, although this would mean governing with only one mandate overhang and would require the support of smaller parties if the worst came to the worst. 

SPÖ wants to push the pace
SPÖ leader Andreas Babler was nevertheless optimistic. On ORF's "ZiB 2", he explained: "It could really be finalized in two or three weeks." On Friday, the Social Democrats only said that there were "intensive talks". They would not say with whom. 

In addition to Babler, the SPÖ negotiating team also includes the Third President of the National Council, Doris Bures, who, as a confidante of Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig, is also well-liked by the ÖVP as a negotiating partner. However, she is still in New York until Saturday.

Stelzer: "New elections would be detrimental"
"There are no negotiations, but at the request of the Federal President we will hold talks with the other parties", the ÖVP said on Friday. However, it was not announced exactly with whom and when talks would take place.

The governor of Upper Austria, Thomas Stelzer, accompanied ÖVP chairman Christian Stocker to the Hofburg on Thursday.

(Bild: APA/BARBARA GINDL)

The governor of Upper Austria, Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP), who had accompanied VP leader Christian Stocker to the Hofburg the previous day, made more detailed comments. At a press conference, he said that the ÖVP had shown in recent months that it was prepared to "jump over our so-called ideological shadow, that we are also interested in pragmatic solutions". He hoped that the time had now come for a government to emerge: "It is important that everyone now realizes that there is no more time and scope for political games or ideological nonsense."

New elections would "massively damage" the country. What is needed is a government with a majority. For Stelzer, this also applies if it only has one mandate overhang: "A majority is a majority."

For Stelzer, it would not fail because Andreas Babler, who is not very popular in the ÖVP, is the SPÖ negotiator: "Who speaks for a party or appears there is something the respective party has to decide for itself." The governor is sticking by VP leader Stocker. Depending on what happens, he will also be the top representative of the ÖVP.

NEOS and Greens wait and see
The NEOS did not yet have any concrete plans for the coming days on Friday. However, they are in contact with other parties by telephone. 

The Greens said that the ÖVP and SPÖ would now have to come together. That is the basis for a constructive majority - "and then we'll see". The Greens are of course ready for further talks. Even now, there are regular informal exchanges at various levels. The party-political chess game on the back of "our homeland" had to end in any case.

Kickl sends Valentine's Day greetings
Whether and how the FPÖ will be involved in future talks on possible forms of government remained open for the time being. For the time being, party leader Herbert Kickl used Facebook as a platform to express his views and once again lashed out against the People's Party. "This offer shows much more that the ÖVP has probably only negotiated with us for appearances and has already made deals with other parties in the background. It is becoming increasingly clear how absurd the ÖVP's negotiating style was and what this party really wants."

In a post shortly beforehand, however, Kickl had also sent positive messages into the world: "Valentine's Day is about more than just flowers and chocolate - it's about REAL LOVE!"