Analysis
Austria sighs relief as the left joins the government (and the FPOe stays out)
The winner of the elections had been the FPOe with 28% of the vote, but thanks to the proportional system, it was not enough to come first. Thus, after a troubled birth, a government came up representing the many: the 72% of those who did not vote FPOe.
It seems like a miracle. Having narrowly escaped the prospect of an extreme right-wing government (led by the FPOe) with Herbert Kickl as the “Volkskanzler,” here at last is an Austrian government that is not only democratic, without the FPOe, but even has some left-wing elements. This can be seen from the 210-page government program, ranging from left to center-right – which will not be easy to implement – and the choice of ministers.
On Saturday, five months after September's political elections, came the long-awaited swearing-in of the new government by Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen. Formerly the group leader of the Greens, Van der Bellen had fought for this outcome, calling the Popular Party (OeVP) and the Social Democrats (SPOe) to the virtue of compromise. The winner of the elections had been the FPOe with 28% of the vote, but thanks to the proportional system, it was not enough to come first. Thus, after a troubled birth, a government came up representing the many: the 72% of those who did not vote FPOe.
The new Chancellor is Christian Stocker of the Popular Party, who comes from the second ranks; Andreas Babler, the SPOe leader who is constantly under fire – including among his own party – for his “too far to the left, veteran socialist” positions, is vice-chancellor; and Beate Meinl Reisinger of the smaller Neos liberal party – the first one to lead the three-party negotiations in the first attempt to form a government – a staunch pro-EU figure, is the Foreign Minister. What united the three very different forces in their second attempt to form a coalition was the Trumpian dystopia happening in the background, which Kickl was ready to implement in Austria.
We mentioned “some left-wing elements.” Surprisingly, as all commentators point out, Babler has shown himself to be a great negotiator with the Popular Party as well as within his own party: the Social Democrats have six ministers, on an equal footing with the Populars, including the Ministry of Finance, which after 25 years is once again “red.” Red with all the right credentials: Markus Marterbauer, chief economist of the Vienna Chamber of Labor (official body of the Sozialpartnerschaft), from the left wing of the SPOe, close to Babler. He is a staunch Keynesian and author of several books; in his latest, Fear and Fear-mongering (2022), he warns against neoliberal economic policy, advocating for a strong welfare state.
“Marterbauer will restore the budget in a balanced and socially just manner,” Babler said, “not by diving into the crisis with cuts, but by coming out of it with investments'. Acknowledged as a high-caliber pick, “best finance minister in decades” according to the Viennese weekly Falter, he will have a difficult task ahead of him: empty coffers, a budget deficit of 3.6% this year, deindustrialization, inflation at 3.5%. He will also have to reckon with the Economy Minister from the Popular Party, Wolfgang Hattmansdorfer, who represents industrial interests.
It will be impossible to tax the rich with wealth and inheritance taxes, as Marterbauer would like, when working the Popular Party, which has in any case broken some taboos on the fiscal side, such as agreeing to tax the banks, the reason for the failure of the first round of negotiations for the formation of the government. After the shock and humiliation experienced in their negotiations with Kickl, the Populars have moved on to more moderate partners. And the appeal to resume talks with the SPOe, first made by the mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig, also made an impression. The Finance Minister’s positions are shared by the Minister of Labor, Welfare and Health, Korinna Schumann, vice-president of the OEGB, the Austrian trade union confederation.
The Social Democrats also secured another highly sensitive ministry, that of Justice, given the high number of trials involving politicians, first and foremost the former chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his entourage, and the FPOe. The ministry will be headed by Anna Sporrer, Vice-President of the Court of Cassation, an outspoken feminist, in the past also chief of staff of two women's rights ministers, another figure considered to be of the highest caliber. The government program envisages reinforcing the independence of the judiciary from politics with the creation of a collegial federal prosecution office. Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler’s portfolio will include the media, art, culture and sport sectors, as well as housing, which has never been classed as a specific national sector before. This subject, which has always been a focus of the SPOe, will also be central in the greatest upcoming battle: the early municipal elections in Vienna, set for April 29. As a first step, the government program sets out rent reductions and a freeze on rent increases.
On the other hand, the center-right orientation is clearly on display at the Interior Ministry, where Gerhard Karner (OeVP) will remain in office. The program’s language already includes a harder line on migrants and refugees, all the more so in the wake of the recent Islamist attack in Villach. However, the mention of a suspension of family reunifications is contradicted by the explicit reference to the European Convention on Human Rights, which requires them. The same goes for the other restrictive measures, softened to some extent by the references to international law. Greater investments in integration are planned, with courses provided from day one, not only on language but also on the Austrian Constitution and “LGBTQ rights” as well. The program also sets out penalties for migrants who don’t follow the curriculum.
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/laustria-respira-anche-la-sinistra-al-governo on 2025-03-04