Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen received NEOS boss Beate Meinl-Reisinger at the Hofburg on Tuesday morning as part of his talks with the leaders of the five parliamentary parties. Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) is expected to arrive last in the afternoon.
Meinl-Reisinger appeared to be in an “excellent mood” before the meeting. Now everyone has the responsibility to secure the country’s future, she told the waiting journalists.
After the round of discussions has ended, Van der Bellen wants to speak out publicly about the follow-up. It is still unclear exactly when this will happen. It is eagerly awaited whether and to whom the Federal President will give a mandate to form a government.
The starting position was complicated this time
An official mandate is not laid down in the constitution, but is a practice and is usually given to the leader of the party with the largest number of votes. However, the starting position is particularly complicated this time, because none of the other parties wants to form a coalition with the FPÖ under Kickl.
Therefore, one of the two smaller parties could play an important role in forming a government this time. If the ÖVP and SPÖ agree on a coalition, they are expected to bring on board a third partner to secure their narrow majority in the National Council – with only one mandate overhang.
On Friday, Van der Bellen met FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl for a one-on-one conversation lasting about an hour, and on Monday he met ÖVP chairman Karl Nehammer and SPÖ leader Andreas Babler in the Hofburg. Just like Van der Bellen’s conversation with Kickl, the conversations each lasted about an hour and a half. When asked how things are going so far, the Federal President said “great”.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
