Last night the first round of exploratory talks between the Austrian People's Party (ANP) and the Austrian Social Democratic Party (ASDP) to form a government, BTA reported.
In statements to the press, ASDP leader Andreas Babler emphasized that he was optimistic, but added that there was still a long way to go before potential partners in the government. After him, the Federal Chancellor and ANP leader Karl Nehammer described the talks as professional, but expressed the opinion that the road to the goal will be long and rocky.
„I am optimistic that the negotiations can lead to the formation of a government,” Babler said. Consultations take place in a spirit of trust. However, he made the stipulation that the result is open. ASDP's wish is to enter government only if it will make people's lives easier and “more accessible”. In view of the negative economic situation, Babler identified participation in the government as a challenge. Despite their differences, ASDP and ANP have achieved successes in the past, such as Austria joining the EU and overcoming the financial crisis, Babler pointed out. Both sides have made contacts with “NEOS– New Austria and Liberal Forum“ and “Greens – "Green alternative", but the question of a future tripartite coalition has not yet been decided, said the chairman of ASDP.
Nehamer's analysis is not much different. According to him, the first round of exploratory talks was conducted “professionally and correctly”. The federal chancellor said he discussed with Babler the need for deep change and reforms in Austria. Individual meetings with the leaders of “NEOS– New Austria and Liberal Forum“ Beate Meinel Reisinger and the “Green – Green alternative“ Werner Kogler is also part of the Federal Chancellor's plan. On the other hand, the ANP and ASDP teams will continue the talks in the coming days to determine the main topics for further exploratory talks.
Obviously, Nehammer is “too cowardly” to start negotiations with the leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (APF) Herbert Kickl, reacted in a statement to the media the general secretary of the APF Christian Hafeneker. Instead, the ANP leader is now taking the path of the “losing traffic light”. A stable government for the next five years would only be possible with the APS and its leader Herbert Kickle, who eventually became the winner of the National Council elections. The federal managing director of the ASDP, Klaus Zeltenheim, called on the APS to respect the decision of the federal president, Alexander Van der Bellen, who gave the mandate to form a government to the second ranked ANP. “Kickle single-handedly took his party out of the game with his politics and radical rhetoric,” commented Seltenheim.