Austria fails to pass budget ahead of Kurz no confidence vote
A STRIA’S Greens, currently part of a governing coalition with the conservative Austrian People’s Party (OeVP), have failed in their attempt to pass the national budget before a no confidence motion threatens a government collapse.
The Greens wanted to hold another cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, but the request from vice-chancellor and Green Party leader Werner Kogler to hold the meeting were turned down by the OeVP, the APA news agency said on Saturday.
On Tuesday afternoon, a vote of no confidence is to be held at a special parliamentary session. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s office is currently being investigated for financial impropriety. He has denied any wrong-doing and said that he will not resign.
Kogler said that even though the crisis could bring down the entire government, “there is nothing standing in the way of a budget decision,” he said.
Important projects such as the expansion of public transport, the funding of extra kindergarten places, digitization of schools and the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines against the coronavirus depended on the budget, Kogler said, adding: “We have a responsibility, so let’s get this sorted out.” Kurz has a good chance of being removed from office on Tuesday, with even his Green coalition partners now considering the 35-year-old chancellor unfit for the position and urging his resignation.
All eyes are currently on Austria’s Social Democrats (SPOe), who are believed to be considering talks to form a fourparty coalition with three other parties including the controversial far-right reedom Party of Austria ( POe).
In order to do so, the Social Democrats would have to reverse their public commitment not to work with POe at federal level.