The Vienna SPÖ plans to conclude its exploratory talks for forming a new state government this week and begin formal coalition negotiations next week. This was announced by Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) after internal meetings on Monday during a gathering of federal, state, and local representatives at the Ministry of Finance. Over the coming days, Ludwig will hold talks with the NEOS, Greens, and ÖVP. A coalition with the FPÖ is not an option for the SPÖ.
Alongside Ludwig, the exploratory team will include state party secretary Barbara Novak and Josef Taucher, the SPÖ’s parliamentary group leader in Vienna. This trio also led the exploratory talks five years ago, which resulted in a coalition with the NEOS. Ludwig emphasized that the process of forming a government should move quickly. The goal is to start in-depth coalition negotiations with one of the three parties next week and to form a new government before the summer. Ludwig did not indicate a preference. He noted that cooperation with the NEOS worked well over the past five years, but he also has experience negotiating a coalition with the ÖVP in 1996 and governing successfully with the Greens for ten years. “Every coalition has its time and justification,” said Ludwig.
City Councillor Jürgen Czernohorszky predicted that government formation would take a few weeks. The decision not to immediately commit to continuing the coalition with the NEOS is, in his view, well-founded. With three potential coalition partners, it makes sense to first assess policy agreements.
Tensions Rise Ahead of ÖVP Leadership Decisions
The greatest tension surrounds the upcoming meetings of the ÖVP. After their poor election results on Sunday, it is now clear that state party leader Karl Mahrer will step down, though his successor has yet to be determined. The frontrunner is Markus Figl, district leader of Vienna’s 1st district, while Daniel Resch, head of the 19th district, is also being considered. Both managed to secure first place for the ÖVP in their respective districts during the local elections, even though the party trailed the SPÖ in the city council vote.
Earlier on Monday, the Greens met and prepared for talks with the Social Democrats. Party leaders Judith Pühringer and Peter Kraus received unanimous approval to conduct exploratory talks. They stressed the need for stable majorities in Vienna in the coming years: “We Greens are ready,” the leadership duo stated. The election results, they noted, reflect a strong desire among many Viennese to combine climate action and social justice.
The NEOS, meanwhile, will hold their internal meetings on Tuesday, according to a spokesperson. Their discussions are expected to last throughout the day, with public statements planned for the late afternoon.
The FPÖ’s state party leadership will also meet on Tuesday morning, though there is little to discuss. Despite nearly tripling their vote share since 2020 with their lead candidate Dominik Nepp, coalition talks with the SPÖ are virtually off the table.
Final Ballot Counting Underway
The remaining mail-in ballots are being counted on Monday, though most were already included in Sunday’s preliminary results – a first for Vienna elections. Ballots that arrived by Friday were processed immediately on election day.
Only late-arriving mail ballots and those from non-Austrian EU citizens eligible to vote in district elections remain to be tallied. The results of the preferential votes are also expected to be announced on Monday.
