Christian Stocker becomes Austrian chancellor as three-party gov’t sworn in

Far-right Freedom Party won astir votes successful September elections, but caller ruling conjugation keeps it successful opposition.

Conservative Christian Stocker has been sworn successful arsenic Austria’s chancellor astatine the caput of a three-party conjugation government, ending 5 months of governmental deadlock that followed a far-right party’s election win.

The swearing-in connected Monday came days aft Stocker said a “common programme” had been agreed by his Austrian People’s Party (OVP), the centre-left Social Democrats and the wide Neos.

The instauration of the conjugation authorities came aft abstracted bids by the aforesaid 3 parties and the far-right Freedom Party, which won the astir votes successful the September 29 parliamentary elections, ended without an agreement.

The caller medication faces important challenges, including rising unemployment, a recession and a strained budget. Its conjugation statement includes plans for stricter asylum rules successful the European Union federation of 9 cardinal people.

“One could accidental ‘good things travel to those who wait’. That, successful immoderate case, is my anticipation successful presumption of the galore days it took to signifier this government,” President Alexander Van der Bellen said astatine the swearing-in ceremonial astatine Vienna’s Hofburg Palace, referring to the country’s longest authorities enactment process since World War II.

“This process surely took a agelong time. Whether it volition crook retired good present isn’t yet decided, but we are affirmative and optimistic. That is down to america all,” helium added.

Stocker, 64, assumes the relation of chancellor contempt not having campaigned for the presumption during the elections and lacking acquisition successful nationalist government.

Before becoming a lawmaker successful 2019, helium was lawman politician successful his autochthonal Wiener Neustadt, a metropolis adjacent Vienna.

Social Democratic person Andreas Babler is the vice chancellor portion Neos caput Beate Meinl-Reisinger takes implicit arsenic overseas minister, replacing Alexander Schallenberg, who served arsenic interim chancellor aft the resignation of erstwhile Chancellor Karl Nehammer aft the illness of authorities enactment talks.

Schallenberg is not portion of the caller cabinet.

Key blimpish ministers, specified arsenic Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner, retained their positions. However, the Ministry of Finance has shifted from the OVP to the Social Democrats with Markus Marterbauer appointed to pb it.

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