Life and Death in Austria [MEGATHREAD]

[Syt]

Coalition talks fell apart yesterday, it's back to square one. President asked in all party leaders for separate talks for today.

Possible options:

New elections. Would likely see a surge in FPÖ votes, mostly at expense of ÖVP. Though other party voters might be motivated to turn out in bigger numbers. But unless FPÖ wins absolute majority, no one would want to form a government with Kickl (and they have no other personnel alternatives, really).

The other parties try to get a coalition going again. After the mud slinging after the last attempt failed not likely.

An "expert" government of non-partisans who will act as custodians and seek parliamentary majorities as needed for their policies (which was fairly popular for the half year it happened recently, because they moved forward on a few stuck issues; not sure it's a reliable option for the next 4+ years).

[Syt]

Well, Austria has a government, of ÖVP (Chancellor Stocker), SPÖ (vice chancellor Babler) and NEOS (foreign minister Meinl-Reisinger), i.e. the parties that first discussed forming a government and originally failed to do so.

Of course the question that arises is, "Why did it take embarrassing ÖVP-FPÖ talks to get here?" And as Nehammer, who resigned as chancellor to make room for the ÖVP/FPÖ talks I'd be doubly pissed (not the biggest fan of his, but he was a fairly common sense person; don't have much of a read on Stocker).

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Dickwaving like this pisses of the electorate

[Syt]

Problem is, Austrian party landscape is very fractured. Nobody wants to work with FPÖ unless there's absolutely no way around it. Kickl is the least popular politician in Austria. There's two main reasons people vote for them: immigration and to voice frustration with the other parties. It's not likely that they will gain an absolute majority anytime soon. And after how Kickl went out of his way to humiliate the ÖVP during their coalition talks even their closest logical partner will be reluctant to discuss a government with them unless from a position of equity or strength. That said, potential FPÖ voters generally seem to come from ÖVP and (and move back there), much fewer from/to the other parties. FPÖ gets stronger, ÖVP grows weaker, and vice versa.