In a significant shift in Austrian politics, Christian Stocker, leader of the conservative People's Party (OeVP), was sworn in as the country’s new chancellor on Monday. Stocker now heads a historic three-party governing coalition, marking the end of Austria's longest period without a government in its modern history.
The formation of this coalition comes after the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) secured nearly a third of the vote in September’s elections but failed to establish Austria's first far-right-led government. Instead, the OeVP joined forces with two centrist parties to create a stable administration.
The official ceremony took place at Vienna's Hofburg Palace, where President Alexander Van der Bellen emphasized the necessity of stable governance during these "challenging" times marked by global geopolitical tensions. Van der Bellen highlighted recent events, including the White House disagreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, underscoring Europe’s need for solidarity and joint peacekeeping efforts.
Earlier this year, Stocker assumed the leadership of the OeVP, succeeding former chancellor Karl Nehammer after initial coalition talks without the far right collapsed. At 64, Stocker brings a diverse background as a lawyer, passionate fly-fisherman, golf enthusiast, and saxophonist. Prior to his political career, he served as deputy mayor of Wiener Neustadt, a city near Vienna, and became the OeVP general secretary in 2022.
With the new cabinet now in place, Austria looks forward to a period of renewed stability and collaboration, aiming to navigate the complexities of the current geopolitical landscape.
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Austria's unlikely chancellor starts job of leading historic coalition
cgtn.com
