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Grand coalition government formed in Austria
Three months after the Austrian parliamentary elections in October 2006, a new government has been sworn in. While Social Democrat Alfred Gusenbauer has replaced Wolfgang Schüssel of the conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) as chancellor, everything otherwise remains the same. Gusenbauer leads a grand coalition that is dominated by the ÖVP and that will consistently pursue the policies of its right-wing predecessor.
Seldom in recent Austrian history have the wishes of the voters been ignored in such a manner. Last October, the ÖVP suffered its greatest ever losses at the polls. This followed Schüssel’s six-year alliance with the extreme right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FP) of Jörg Haider, which implemented a programme of radical welfare cuts and law-and-order policies. Now the ÖVP will continue to direct government affairs with the help of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ).
Gusenbauer’s SPÖ, which emerged as the strongest party in the elections, also lost some 200,000 votes in the October poll. The two parties that lost the most votes have now formed a government and will continue to implement policies that the electorate had clearly rejected.
Although Schüssel will not hold a ministerial portfolio in Gusenbauer’s cabinet, his close and trusted friend William Molterer will become vice-chancellor. Molterer, who has supported Schüssel throughout every past political crisis, has always been regarded as an eager proponent of an alliance with the extreme right-winger Jörg Haider.
Schüssel will lead the ÖVP parliamentary faction. In this capacity he is not tied by cabinet discipline and can pressure the government from the outside, hoping for the chance to regain the chancellorship.
The allocation of ministerial offices provides a clear picture of the dominance of the ÖVP within the new government. Over the course of three months, Gusenbauer haggled away all the key posts. Vice-chancellor Molterer heads the Finance Ministry. Martin Bartenstein remains as economics minister. The Interior, Foreign and Health ministries all went to ÖVP representatives. Five of the new ÖVP ministers had belonged to the old cabinet.
More
http://wsws.org/articles/2007/jan2007/aust-j20.shtml
Gusenbauer’s SPÖ, which emerged as the strongest party in the elections, also lost some 200,000 votes in the October poll. The two parties that lost the most votes have now formed a government and will continue to implement policies that the electorate had clearly rejected.
Although Schüssel will not hold a ministerial portfolio in Gusenbauer’s cabinet, his close and trusted friend William Molterer will become vice-chancellor. Molterer, who has supported Schüssel throughout every past political crisis, has always been regarded as an eager proponent of an alliance with the extreme right-winger Jörg Haider.
Schüssel will lead the ÖVP parliamentary faction. In this capacity he is not tied by cabinet discipline and can pressure the government from the outside, hoping for the chance to regain the chancellorship.
The allocation of ministerial offices provides a clear picture of the dominance of the ÖVP within the new government. Over the course of three months, Gusenbauer haggled away all the key posts. Vice-chancellor Molterer heads the Finance Ministry. Martin Bartenstein remains as economics minister. The Interior, Foreign and Health ministries all went to ÖVP representatives. Five of the new ÖVP ministers had belonged to the old cabinet.
More
http://wsws.org/articles/2007/jan2007/aust-j20.shtml
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