Christian Stocker becomes Austrian chancellor
Photo: Christian Stocker (Getty Images)
The conservative Austrian People's Party leader, Christian Stocker, was sworn in as Austria's chancellor today, The Guardian reports.
It is noted that Stocker took charge of a three-party coalition government, formed after five months of political deadlock following last year’s elections, in which the far-right Freedom Party won.
The new administration will be established by the center-right People's Party (ÖVP), the Social Democrats (SPÖ), and the liberal Neos party. In January, the party's initial attempt to form a coalition failed.
"Good things come to those who wait," Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said at the ceremony.
What preceded
On September 29, 2024, parliamentary elections were held in Austria. The far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) won with 29.2% of the vote, advocating for stricter migration policies and a reduction in European support for Ukraine.
The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), led by Nehammer, took second place, while the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) came third. Both parties refused to form a coalition with the election winners and instead announced plans to create their own alliance with the liberal NEOS party. However, NEOS soon withdrew from the negotiations, and on Saturday, talks between ÖVP and SPÖ ultimately collapsed.
As a result, Chancellor Nehammer announced that he was ending negotiations with SPÖ and declared his resignation.
At the same time, in December last year, Nehammer stated that Vienna was ready to host future peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
