Headline: Austria‘s ÖVP Pulls Out of Coalition Talks with SPÖ; Chancellor Nehammer to Resign
Meta: As political talks collapse, Nehammer steps down after 18 months in office, deepening Austria’s political crisis.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammershock announcement on Saturday has thrown the country into further political turmoil. In a video posted on X, the conservative leader revealed that his party, ÖVP, is walking away from coalition negotiations with the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), and he will resign as both Chancellor and party leader in a matter of days.
"After lengthy and intense talks, we’ve found that there’s no agreement possible on key issues," Nehammer stated. "Hence, we’re ending negotiations with SPÖ, and I will also step down as party leader."
Österreich has been grappling with a political crisis since the September elections. The far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) emerged as the largest party but fell short of a majority, and no other party is willing to partner with them. ÖVP finished second and was tasked by President Alexander Van der Bellen in October to form a new government.
Since then, talks with SPÖ and the liberal Neos party have been ongoing, but Neos withdrew on Friday. ÖVP and SPÖ attempted a fresh round of talks on Saturday, which lasted mere hours beforeóx collapsing once again.
Nehammer, 52, has served as Austria’s Chancellor since December 2021. His resignation further complicates the country’s political landscape, as the search for a viable coalition government continues.