VIENNA — Austrian far-correct chief Herbert Kickl and his prospective coalition partners said Monday that they have reached an agreement to bring down the budgetary schedule deficit, an significant first step toward what would be the country’s first post-globe War II government led by the far correct.
Kickl, whose liberty event won Austria’s parliamentary election in September, received a mandate to try to form a government with the conservative Austrian People’s event a week ago. The latter had previously attempted to form a government without Kickl, but lengthy talks with two other mainstream parties collapsed — with the question of how to get the country’s finances in shape a key sticking point.
On Monday, the two parties said they had agreed to some 6.3 billion euros ($6.5 billion) in reserves this year that would get Austria’s deficit below the 3% maximum mandated by European Union rules.
Kickl said that would be achieved without recent taxes, “with measures against levy loopholes and privileges, particularly those of large players, with reserves in the ministry apparatus, with an complete to excessive subsidies.” The negotiators were vague about details as they still have to thrash out a packed budgetary package.
“We have achieved together, in three days of intensive and excellent negotiations, what was not feasible in about 100 days in a different political constellation,” Kickl said in a swipe at the mainstream parties’ previous efforts.
Negotiations to form a recent government could still receive weeks or months and aren’t guaranteed to achieve. In the meantime, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has taken over as interim chancellor after conservative Karl Nehammer, Austria’s chief for the history three years, resigned following his failed attempt to put together a recent coalition.
Schallenberg was heading to Brussels Monday to meet elder EU officials as they face the prospect of an Austria led by the euroskeptic, Russia-amiable and anti-immigration liberty event.
He said ahead of his trip that “my communication is obvious: Austria is and remains a powerful, reliable and constructive associate in the European Union,” and that the EU can continue to depend fully on Austria in foreign and safety policy, the Austria Press Agency reported.
However, Schallenberg doesn’t schedule to remain in the government under Kickl and can’t talk for the prospective recent coalition.
