Austria's new government took office today with Christian Stocker as chancellor at the head of a three-party coalition formed after a five-month wait.
The coalition agreement reached on Thursday after the longest negotiations in Austria since World War II stipulates strict rules for asylum in the EU country of nine million people.
This is the country's first three-party government, uniting Stoker's conservative Austrian People's Party, the center-left Social Democrats and the liberal Neos. The alliance was only formed on the second attempt after the far-right Freedom Party was the strongest political force in the September 29 parliamentary elections.
The first attempt to form a government failed in early January and prompted the resignation of then-Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who said his party would not work under Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl.
Stoker took over the leadership of the People's Party from Nehammer and attempted negotiations with Kikla about a possible coalition, but those negotiations also failed on February 12th with mutual accusations.
Then the three centrist parties tried again to come to an agreement and avoid the possibility of calling early elections. On Sunday, the coalition agreement received strong support from members of Neos, which is entering the federal government for the first time, and it was the last step needed before the government could take office.
"You could say that good things come to those who wait, at least I hope so, given the number of days it took to form this government," Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said as the government was sworn in before him.
"This process has certainly taken a long time, whether it will turn out well remains to be seen, but we are positive and optimistic and now it depends on all of us," added the Austrian president.
Stoker, 64, becomes chancellor despite not having run for the post when Austrians voted in September and having not served in the national government before. Social Democrat leader Andreas Babler becomes the new vice chancellor.
Neos leader Beate Meinl-Razinger became the new foreign minister, taking over from Alexander Schallenberg, who also served as interim chancellor for the past two months following Nehammer's resignation. Schallenberg is not in the new government.
Some conservative ministers from the former government retained their posts, including Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Defense Minister Claudia Tanner. But the important finance ministry went from the People's Party to the Social Democrats, with Markus Marterbauer taking over the job.
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