Austria coalition ends five months of limbo

4 min read Austria, Balkan countries, DACH & Slovenia, Economy, Politics, Ukraine, Babler, China, FPO, Kickl, Nehammer, NEOS, OVP, Russia, SPO, Stocker

Austria’s centre-right People’s Party (OVP), centre-left Social Democrats (SPO) and centrist, liberal NEOs have now finalised a coalition pact after a five-month political impasse and two rounds of failed negotiations. Members of the NEOs voted 94% in favour of a coalition deal on Sunday, 2 March, clearing the

Austrian far-right FPO party wins election

2 min read Austria, DACH & Slovenia, News by country, FPO, Kickl, Nehammer, OVP, SPO

Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPO) has won a landmark victory, claiming the largest share of votes and ending 20 years of dominance by the centre-right People’s Party (OVP). Led by Herbert Kickl, the FPO secured 28.8% (which translated to 56 seats, up 25), pipping Austrian Chancellor Karl

EU shuns Budapest meetings, as Hungary's rotating presidency whirls on

4 min read Hungary, Boka, Dobrev, Frieden, Jinping, Magyar, Metsola, michel, Nehammer, Orban, Putin, Schoof, Szijjarto, von der Leyen, Zelenskyy

Despite only starting its EU rotating presidency on 1 July, Hungary has already made it one of the more memorable of these ordinarily uneventful 6-month tenures. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban spent the first week of his presidency on a self-styled “peace mission”, when he visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,

Flood-hit CEE countries ask EU, NATO for aid

1 min read Austria, Economy, Slovenia, EU Civil Protection Mechanism, European Union, Golob, NATO, Nehammer

Slovenia and Austria were the worst hit countries by the severe floods that swept over Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) over the weekend. As thousands evacuated their homes and four died in Slovenia, the country asked for help from the EU and NATO. In Austria, one person died after falling