Summary of 100 Days of the Three-Party Coalition

The coalition between the three partners, ideologically opposed in many areas, was certainly not one of love. Only on the second attempt and due to a lack of alternatives could the ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS agree during the coalition negotiations. Accordingly, expectations for the three-party coalition were low, whose room for maneuver is limited anyway: The ailing state budget must be consolidated without affecting the weak economy in the third year of recession, while time is pressing.

Three-party coalition quickly got into action

Therefore, the federal government quickly got into action. Just three days after being sworn in on March 3, the first major steps towards budget consolidation were decided in the National Council - including an increase in the bank levy and the abolition of educational leave - as well as a rent freeze in certain areas. The latter fulfilled a core concern of the SPÖ, followed shortly by the ÖVP's push for a pause in family reunification and measures in the education sector proposed by the NEOS, such as orientation classes, a mobile phone ban, and German language support. It is the "live and let live" recipe by which the three-party coalition operates. Each week, one of the coalition parties is allowed to set the topic, an attempt at a new form of "message control." Surprisingly well, the outwardly demonstrated unity of the three coalition partners has worked so far, who had publicly exchanged various unpleasantries after the collapse of the first coalition talks at the beginning of the year. Not a word of public criticism leaked from the weeks of tough negotiations over savings in the ministries.

Finance Minister Marterbauer scores with pragmatism

The stoic pragmatism is personified by Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP), who rather accidentally slipped into the role of Chancellor after he was supposed to lead the ÖVP as a junior partner into a coalition with the FPÖ following the collapse of the first three-party coalition negotiations. With pragmatism and objectivity, the left-wing economist Markus Marterbauer also surprised as Finance Minister - initially understood as an SPÖ challenge to the industry at his nomination. He even managed to reach the top of the popularity scale in the government ranks within a few weeks. However, the federal government has not yet succeeded in triggering a general sense of optimism. The approval ratings for the three parties have remained relatively stable in the polls since they took office. NEOS State Secretary Josef Schellhorn got caught in a swirl of negative reporting due to the choice of a more luxurious company car. The sometimes clumsy appearance of the prominent restaurateur on the political stage has so far not disturbed the harmony of the three-party coalition outwardly, nor has the indictment against ÖVP club chairman August Wöginger or the solo effort by Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) at the EU level with the demand for a changed interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

There is enough potential for conflict for the three-party coalition in the future

Disagreements over messenger surveillance have so far only been postponed. In the government program, a "constitutional" solution was agreed upon. However, from the NEOS's perspective, the draft submitted by the ÖVP is not. Other projects, such as the planned reform of social assistance, also harbor potential friction points for the future. The further necessary savings are also likely to be challenging for the coalition structure - at the latest when it is decided which of the parties' heartfelt concerns, subject to budgetary constraints in the government program, can be realized and for what there is not enough money. The acid test for the three-party coalition will also be the structural reforms urgently demanded by all experts. Given the sometimes widely differing positions, expectations are low. In this respect, the government could theoretically surprise here as well.

(APA/Red)

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