Official announcement from the Austrian government or FPÖ

Austria's Chancellor Nehammer to Resign as ÖVP Leader After Coalition Talks Fail

Jan 4, 2025, 07:15 PM

Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced he will resign as both head of government and chairman of the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) in the coming days after coalition talks with the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) collapsed. The breakdown in negotiations came a day after the liberal NEOS party withdrew from three-party coalition talks, citing a lack of reform willingness from the ÖVP and SPÖ. NEOS leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger stated, 'We are not naive, government negotiations require compromises.' Nehammer stated that 'an agreement on essential core points is not possible.' His resignation raises uncertainty about the formation of a new government and may pave the way for the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) to enter government.