euro|topics - A grand coalition for Austria?

Main focus of Monday, October 2, 2006

A grand coalition for Austria?

Contradicting all election forecasts, the opposition Social Democrats under the leadership of Alfred Gusenbauer have won Austria's parliamentary elections. The current governing party, the ÖVP, lost over eight percent of its votes and will probably join a grand coalition as a junior partner. Commentators examine the situation and also the evident success of the ultra-right populist parties in the elections."

Die Presse - Austria

"Yesterday Austrian voters, like their German counterparts in 2005, tried to vote reality out of office," Christian Ortner notes in a guest commentary. "Presumably the unexpected strength of the Austrian and German Social Democrats reveals a deeper political structure in Europe that transcends national particularities. It would seem that in addition to all the local factors that play a role in voting behaviour there is a considerable number of voters who perceive globalisation, with all its facets (immigration, the fear of losing one's job, the need to reform the social budget), as a massive personal threat. They therefore yearn for policies which promise less market, less competition, less effort and more security, more social safety nets and more protection against the intensifying global competition for jobs and income. And, if possible, that the 'the rich' should pay for it all." (02/10/2006)

Večer - Slovenia

Boris Jausovec comments on the success of the right-wing populist parties in yesterday's general elections in Austria. "The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) used nationalist and chauvinist slogans and demands – sometimes against each other – to win votes in the election campaign. They both promised to remove 300,000 foreigners immediately from the country and to rid Europe of Islam and Carinthia of the Slovenian language. Together, the two parties managed to garner 15 percent of the vote. Not all too long ago, results like these would have set off alarm bells across Europe. Nowadays, unfortunately, it's quite normal." (02/10/2006)

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany

Reinhard Olt examines why right-wing extremists were able to win around 15 percent of the vote in the Austrian elections: "Telling themselves that the 'bogeyman of Islam' and the widespread feeling of discontent with alleged EU centralism guided many voters at the ballot won't be of any great consolation to the major parties. Schüssel and the ÖVP obviously failed to use Austria's EU presidency to boost their citizens' pride and self-confidence. Moreover, Schüssel has failed to soothe voters' fears about EU enlargement and to convince them of the country's economic opportunities which are immense for a country which has shifted to 'Europe's centre'." (02/10/2006)

Lidové noviny - Czech Republic

The Austrians voted yesterday. The Czech Republic's elections took place four months ago, but the governing Conservative government has virtually no chance of winning the parliamentary vote of confidence tomorrow. This prompts Lubos Palata to draw a comparison between the situation in Austria and in the Czech Republic. "People call the Austrians German-speaking Czechs. The close results in the elections confirm this. Nonetheless, the Austrians need not fear a political stalemate as seen in the Czech Republic, where they are left for months without a government and then get a government that does not have the confidence of the parliament, and in the end after half a year new elections are held. The feuds during the election campaign in Vienna were essentially objective debates about the country's future course. In Austria, too, the negotiations for the formation of a new government could go on for months, but in the end the country will have a functioning government. Yes, the Austrians are like the Czechs – but only a bit." (02/10/2006)

» To the complete press review of Monday, October 2, 2006

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