Once the 2025 state elections are over, the promising speculation surrounding a future coalition will gain full steam. Hofer can certainly imagine working with the SPÖ in the state government.
Buoyed by an approval rating of 46.4 percent, Burgenlands SPÖ leader Hans Peter Doskozil can confidently enter into talks for a coalition. The state governor achieved a convincing victory for his party. Without Doskozil nothing works, that’s for sure. The evening after the votes were counted, election observers assumed a red-green alliance.
Red-green difficult
In an initial analysis, this “counterbalance to the federal government” seemed to be the easiest alliance option to implement in some political circles. However, it’s not that simple. We must not forget that seventeen SPÖ mandates plus two Green seats are not an unwavering demonstration of power in a blue-turquoise opposition with seventeen members.
Two alpha animals at the head of the voter group
This would be somewhat different in the case of an alliance between the SPÖ and the FPÖ. Doskozil and his liberal counterpart Norbert Hofer have more in common than meets the eye. Both were born in the market town of Vorau in Styria with a population of 4,630. The red police officer (54) and the blue flight technician (50) have grown into leaders who go their own way.
The cheers of more than 23 percent had not yet died down during the FPÖ celebration in the rooftop bar of Hotel Galántha in Eisenstadt. Blues already hinted at serious ambitions to participate in government. The idea of a political pack with two alpha animals at the top raises alarm bells among behavioral scientists, but it would not deter Hofer and Doskozil. In addition, almost every third SPÖ voter can imagine themselves as red-blue. And then there would still be a red-turquoise coalition with 25 of the total 36 mandates in the state parliament.
Interviews with all candidates
The “preliminary investigation” is underway as of today. Doskozil wants to hold one-on-one talks with the top candidates of the ÖVP, FPÖ and the Greens this week. It should be clear next Monday with whom government negotiations will start. The most important topics and future priorities will be determined during an internal meeting on Saturday.
The SPÖ boss needs trust and openness
“We are having conversations with everyone,” Doskozil emphasized. It requires a certain degree of willingness to compromise. The governor of the state has difficulty speaking with “half-truths and untruths, such as in the election campaign”. His four pillars of coalition negotiations: trust, credibility, openness and transparency.
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.
