Is Zuckerl coming after all?

NEOS would have to jump over their shadow here

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA / picturedesk.com)

It was the political bombshell on Friday. After the withdrawal of the NEOS from the government negotiations and the ensuing chaos, everything should now be back to square one. However, the Pinks would probably have to jump over their shadows if they were to actually get back in.

As the third party in the coalition, the NEOS could make a Zuckerl coalition possible again, as was reported in negotiating circles on Friday. Now that the ÖVP and SPÖ have apparently already agreed to work together, the team around Beate Meinl-Reisinger is to be presented with a ministerial offer on Friday in order to secure a better majority in the National Council.

Appointment in Hofburg delayed
However, things are not going quite as quickly as initially thought. An appointment in the Hofburg that was expected to take place at midday has been delayed - but one is due to take place on Friday. In any case, a NEOS party committee has already met this morning. Afterwards, the three potential coalition partners met once again. The question was to what extent the ÖVP and SPÖ want to accommodate the NEOS wishes, for example in the area of pensions.

As the crisis-ridden talks after the start of the year showed, some of the key demands were not necessarily met with approval by the former major parties. A leaked negotiation protocol from failed tripartite negotiations shows differences ranging from state reform to pensions:

Federal state reform
The NEOS' ideas on federal state reform, cutting advertising expenditure and party funding, objectifying appointments to posts and depoliticizing the ORF and social insurance bodies remained largely in the red - and therefore without agreement.

In the area of budget and taxes, the NEOS campaigned for the consolidation success to be earmarked for income tax reform and for a statutory spending brake. Both remained in red. In the area of healthcare, the demand for the financing of the public healthcare system from a single source fell on deaf ears.

The NEOS and ÖVP were in agreement on reducing ancillary wage costs, with the SPÖ putting the brakes on. In the transport sector, the NEOS remained alone with their desire for reforms to company cars and the diesel privilege.

Retirement age
The ÖVP and SPÖ also had little joy with the NEOS wishes for pension reform, specifically the linking of the retirement age to life expectancy. Placing the education sector entirely under federal jurisdiction and introducing a "secondary school leaving certificate" also remained "red".

The NEOS demanded a reform of the chambers, including an end to compulsory membership, as did the FPÖ most recently. Both the ÖVP and SPÖ rejected the proposal. Strengthening competition among energy suppliers is another issue that the NEOS were unable to push through.

Much also remained open in the area of national defense, although it is not clear from the minutes who supported which demand or not. In the past, however, the NEOS repeatedly stood out with the idea of a European army, which was unpopular with the others.