A new alliance with the ÖVP was practically ruled out because of the dispute over restructuring. According to insiders, the SPÖ prefers Neos to the Greens.
When asked what specific goal he was pursuing in the National Council elections in the fall, Green Party leader Werner Kögler recently told “Presse am Sonntag” that his party “must be strong enough to negotiate for participation in government.” After a week, it is clear that it no longer depends on the Green Party’s election results, but rather on the search for coalition partners. An overview of what variations are possible from the perspective of the Greens.
An already unlikely option with the ÖVP was almost rendered obsolete by the approval of Leonor Küssler’s EU restructuring regulation. The ÖVP is now openly saying that it was a mistake to form an alliance with the Green Party in the first place. Party leader Carl Nehammer said the Greens had “shown their true colours”. The Turquoise economic bloc has long been said to be against the idea of working with the Greens again. According to polls, it is almost impossible to relaunch the turquoise-green coalition anyway in Sunday’s question, with the two parties together at around 30 percent.
The SPÖ is also skeptical
So you may need a third partner for majority. But given the Greens’ rejection of the Turquoise, a coalition of the ÖVP, Greens and Neos, according to studies, is unlikely anyway. From the ÖVP perspective, the same applies to cooperation with the SPÖ and the Green parties. Many ÖVP politicians have already said they will no longer govern, at least with Gewessler – but Kögler said they will “continue to govern with the team we have now”. Likewise – and above all – with the Environment Minister.
Another problem for the Greens’ government plans: the powerful Vienna SPÖ wants Nöss as an additional partner for federal cooperation if a coalition with the ÖVP is reached. If you ask the SPÖ, the last years of the Red-Green coalition and the suspension of the construction of the Löbau tunnel by Kövesler are the reasons for doubt. At the state level, the SPÖ has been in a harmonious alliance with Neos since 2020. According to insiders, SPÖ leader Andreas Popler would rather have the Greens than Neos in a coalition with the ÖVP – but whether he will win is another question.
A traffic light alliance with Green and Neos, targeted by Poplar, remains. But that’s not really an issue at the moment; In particular, according to opinion polls, all three parties are far from a majority. Additionally, the Neos leadership is now speaking out against it.
Several options are currently unavailable to allow the Greens to remain in government. The Blues will remain unquestioned anyway: the Greens call the FPÖ “right-wing extremist”, describing the Greens as “the political arm of climate terrorists”.
