Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08VIENNA965
2008-07-07 14:29:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
Government Collapses; Austria to Vote in September
how-toVZCZCXRO0990 RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV DE RUEHVI #0965 1891429 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 071429Z JUL 08 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0505 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
UNCLAS VIENNA 000965
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/AGS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL AU
SUBJECT: Government Collapses; Austria to Vote in September
UNCLAS VIENNA 000965
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/AGS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL AU
SUBJECT: Government Collapses; Austria to Vote in September
1. The Social Democrat Party (SPO) and the Conservative People's
Party (OVP) decided July 7 to terminate their coalition and schedule
early elections in September.
2. OVP chairman Vice-Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer announced at a
press conference at 10:00 the morning of July 7 that the OVP could
no longer work constructively with the SPO, which was in a
leadership crisis and "without clear orientation." Moreover, he
charged, the SPO had abandoned the joint government program by
suddenly calling for referenda in Austria on future EU treaties.
Molterer announced he would be the top candidate in the elections.
3. Following an SPO party presidium meeting also held the morning
of July 7th, Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer announced the SPO would
vote with the OVP in favor of early elections. Gusenbauer asserted
that the OVP had never accepted its defeat in the 2006 election and
had obstructed the government work from the very beginning. Driving
the nails into the coffin of his own political future, Gusenbauer
also announced that the acting SPO party chairman, Infrastructure
Minister Werner Faymann, will be the SPO's top candidate in the
elections. The SPO will advance its party convention planned for
October to nominate Faymann as top candidate. The convention will
presumably take place in late July in Vienna.
4. Parliament will vote in favor of a motion calling for early
elections this week. Possible election dates are September 14, 21
and 28. At the parliamentary meetings this week, some SPO Ministers
and MPs wanted to try to obtain opposition support for projects
which the OVP had rejected, most prominently the abolition of
university student tuitions (which were introduced by the previous
OVP-led government). Acting party chairman Faymann has, however,
ruled out that the SPO would vote against the OVP in the remaining
parliamentary meetings. The SPO would not vote with the
rightwing/populist Freedom Party (FPO) against its coalition partner
OVP, and would also not form a coalition with the FPO after the next
elections, stressed Faymann.
GIRARD-DICARLO
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/AGS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL AU
SUBJECT: Government Collapses; Austria to Vote in September
1. The Social Democrat Party (SPO) and the Conservative People's
Party (OVP) decided July 7 to terminate their coalition and schedule
early elections in September.
2. OVP chairman Vice-Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer announced at a
press conference at 10:00 the morning of July 7 that the OVP could
no longer work constructively with the SPO, which was in a
leadership crisis and "without clear orientation." Moreover, he
charged, the SPO had abandoned the joint government program by
suddenly calling for referenda in Austria on future EU treaties.
Molterer announced he would be the top candidate in the elections.
3. Following an SPO party presidium meeting also held the morning
of July 7th, Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer announced the SPO would
vote with the OVP in favor of early elections. Gusenbauer asserted
that the OVP had never accepted its defeat in the 2006 election and
had obstructed the government work from the very beginning. Driving
the nails into the coffin of his own political future, Gusenbauer
also announced that the acting SPO party chairman, Infrastructure
Minister Werner Faymann, will be the SPO's top candidate in the
elections. The SPO will advance its party convention planned for
October to nominate Faymann as top candidate. The convention will
presumably take place in late July in Vienna.
4. Parliament will vote in favor of a motion calling for early
elections this week. Possible election dates are September 14, 21
and 28. At the parliamentary meetings this week, some SPO Ministers
and MPs wanted to try to obtain opposition support for projects
which the OVP had rejected, most prominently the abolition of
university student tuitions (which were introduced by the previous
OVP-led government). Acting party chairman Faymann has, however,
ruled out that the SPO would vote against the OVP in the remaining
parliamentary meetings. The SPO would not vote with the
rightwing/populist Freedom Party (FPO) against its coalition partner
OVP, and would also not form a coalition with the FPO after the next
elections, stressed Faymann.
GIRARD-DICARLO