SPÖ personnel fixed

14 ministers, 7 state secretaries: government bench tight

The government bench in parliament needs additional seats.

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

The future ÖVP-SPÖ-NEOS federal government will consist of a total of 13 ministers, a federal chancellor and seven state secretariats. However, this will lead to a space problem, at least in parliament. The government bench has too few seats. Incidentally, one of the SPÖ's key personnel decisions was already confirmed on Thursday afternoon. 

With the Federal Chancellor, 13 ministers and seven state secretaries, the government team will grow to a total of 21 heads and thus reach the limits of the parliamentary space. 

In the newly renovated parliament, the government bench has 18 seats. The black armchairs stand armrest to armrest; the lectern interrupts the row in the middle. It was from here that Nina Tomaselli from the Green Party referred to the impending space problem at the National Council meeting on Wednesday: "That would mean that you would have to rebuild our new parliament because of all the state secretary shenanigans". She called on the negotiators to keep their promise to make savings in the system - which, however, did not materialize.

Narrower chairs are intended to remedy this situation, and these were still being installed on Thursday afternoon, according to parliament. 

The distribution of portfolios at a glance:

• ÖVP:
  Federal Chancellery: Party leader Christian Stocker is considered the frontrunner here. 
  Ministry of the Interior: Currently occupied by Gerhard Karner, it is expected that he will continue to hold the office. 
  Ministry of Defense: Klaudia Tanner was the first woman to hold the ministerial office, but it remains to be seen whether she will continue to head the department. 
  Ministry of Economic Affairs including Tourism and Energy: The appointment is still open, with Upper Austrian Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer and Styrian MP Barbara Eibinger-Miedl as possible candidates.
  Family, Youth and Integration: will be located in the Chancellor's Office, the most likely candidate is Claudia Plakolm. She was already responsible for similar agendas as State Secretary under Karl Nehammer.
  Agriculture, climate and environment: unlike under the Turquoise-Green government, the environmental agenda will once again be handed over to the Department of Agriculture. It is still unclear whether Norbert Totschnig will continue to head the department. 
  The "Regions" and "Water Management" issues are also bundled in the Ministry of Agriculture. 
  State Secretariat in the Chancellery: for the time being still without its own area of responsibility, appointment open
  State Secretariat in the Ministry of Finance: The portfolio itself will go to the SPÖ, but the red minister will be supported by a state secretary from the People's Party.

• SPÖ: 
  Vice-Chancellor: Andreas Babler will receive the post of Vice-Chancellor. It has not yet been communicated which agendas the party leader will receive. 
  Ministry of Finance: The SPÖ confirmed on Thursday afternoon that Markus Marterbauer will head the Ministry of Finance in future. The 60-year-old economist is regarded as a representative of the left wing and has been Vice President of the Fiscal Council, Wifo and most recently the Chamber of Labor.
  Ministry of Infrastructure: Hanke could become Minister of Infrastructure if the finance portfolio does not fall to him. The transport, innovation and technology agendas are to be combined here. 
  Ministry of Justice: will also be colored red, with former Transport Minister Jörg Leichtfried being considered as a candidate. 
  Women, Science and Research: will be united in an SPÖ ministry in future. Muna Duzdar is said to be a possible candidate. She is currently a member of the Vienna state parliament and already has government experience as a former state secretary. 
  Ministry of Health and Social Affairs: will in future also take care of labor agendas and (as is already the case) care.
  Housing, culture, media and sport: an exciting mix of departments, which will also have a red state secretary in addition to the minister. According to Babler, the latter will also be responsible for government coordination.
  State Secretariat for Home Affairs: will be placed alongside the ÖVP Interior Minister and will primarily be responsible for the intelligence services.
  State Secretariat for Health and Social Affairs: additional post in the SPÖ-led Ministry of Health

• NEOS:
  Foreign and European Affairs Ministry: the small coalition partner will take over a large portfolio, party leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger could be given a turn here herself. 
  Ministry of Education: Christoph Wiederkehr is expected to take on the pink core issue. However, his successor in Vienna must be clarified. 
  State Secretariat in the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs: Instead of a separate Minister for Europe, the Pinks will have a State Secretary in their own department. 

Who will actually be part of the next government was not officially announced on Thursday. This will happen after the ÖVP and SPÖ party committees, which meet on Friday morning. The NEOS have to push through their participation in the coalition at a general meeting on Sunday.