Vienna (Austria), March 3 (LaPresse) – The new Austrian government has taken the oath of office, with Christian Stocker assuming the position of Chancellor at the head of a tripartite coalition, after five months of waiting since the national elections. The new government brings together the conservatives of the ÖVP (Austrian People's Party) led by Stocker, the center-left Social Democrats of the SPÖ, and the liberals Neos. The alliance was only formed on the second attempt, after the far-right FPÖ, the Freedom Party, emerged as the main political force in the parliamentary elections of September 29. The first attempt failed in early January, leading to the resignation of then-Chancellor Karl Nehammer. Stocker succeeded Nehammer as leader of the People's Party and initiated talks with the leader of the Freedom Party, Herbert Kickl, for a potential coalition, but the talks ended on February 12 with no agreement. The three center parties then renewed their efforts to find common ground, avoiding the possibility of early elections. Stocker, 64, becomes Chancellor despite not having run in the September Austrian elections and never having served in a national government. Social Democratic leader Andreas Babler is the new Vice Chancellor. The leader of Neos, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, succeeds Alexander Schallenberg, the former Foreign Minister, who also served as interim Chancellor in the last two months after Nehammer's resignation and is not part of the new government.
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