Christian Stocker Nominated As Interim Leader By Austrian People's Party Amid Chancellor Nehammer's Resignation Talks
(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Austrian People's Party has appointed its General Secretary, Christian Stocker, as interim leader following the anticipated resignation of Chancellor Karl Nehammer. Christian Stocker is a lawyer and a member of Austrian Parliament; he has also served as general secretary of the People's Party since 2022.
Christian Stocker was declared interim leader after Karl Nehammer announced Saturday that he would resign in the next few days after coalition talks with the Social Democrats collapsed.
Nehammer is expected to meet with Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen on Sunday. The president will then make a public statement to announce the next steps.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said Saturday he will resign in the coming days after talks on forming a new government failed a second time.
The announcement came after the People's Party and the Social Democrats on Saturday continued coalition talks a day after the liberal Neos party's surprise withdrawal from discussions.
“Unfortunately I have to tell you today that the negotiations have ended and will not be continued by the People's Party,” said Nehammer.
He stated that "destructive forces" within the Social Democratic Party have "gained the upper hand," and emphasized that the People's Party will not endorse a program it deems harmful to economic competitiveness.
Speaking on the coalition talks, social democratic leader Andreas Babler said he regretted the People's Party decision to end the talks.“This is not a good decision for our country,” he said. Babler said that one of the main stumbling blocks had to do with how to repair the“record deficit” left by the previous government.
“I have offered to Karl Nehammer and the People's Party to continue negotiating and called on them not to give up," he told reporters Saturday evening.
The next government in Austria faces the challenge of having to save between 18 to 24 billion euros, according to the EU Commission. In addition, Austria has been in a recession for the past two years, is experiencing rising unemployment, and its budget deficit is currently at 3.7 per cent of Gross Domestic Product - above the EU's limit of 3 per cent.
(With agency inputs)
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