By Francois Murphy
VIENNA (Reuters) – Beate Meinl-Reisinger, leader of Austria’s small, liberal Neos party, called on party members to make history on Sunday and support what she sees as a move supporting liberal democracy as they voted on whether to join a proposed coalition government.
Neos members met on Sunday to vote on whether to join the coalition, the last obstacle to a planned alliance of three centrist parties without the far right.
Two-thirds of Neos members taking part in the vote must back the coalition agreement negotiated with the conservative People’s Party (OVP) and Social Democrats (SPO) for Neos to formally join the alliance. If they do not, the OVP and SPO will be left with a majority of just one seat in the lower house.
The new government is due to be sworn in on Monday, ending the longest wait for one since World War Two. The far-right Freedom Party, which came first in September’s parliamentary election with around 29% of the vote, failed to form a government last month after a centrist effort collapsed.
“I have asked myself what democracies are worth if no-one can reach out their hand anymore,” Neos leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger said, referring to the months of negotiations and compromises made in different coalition talks.
The party’s priorities include cutting state spending and eliminating red tape, and the government programme includes measures such as pension reform, long a top issue for Neos, a party that has never been in national government.
“We have a responsibility, each of us, (to build) a liberal democracy,” she said, ending her speech to the party meeting in Vienna with the call: “Let’s make history today.”
She received a standing ovation from the roughly 650 party members present, though they were only about a third of those registered for the hybrid meeting, which was also online. The vote was due in the afternoon after opening the floor to speeches by members.
A majority of one seat in parliament would technically be enough to govern but it would make the business of government far more difficult, since a single lawmaker’s absence through, say, illness could tip the balance. Neos would also give up the foreign and education ministries they are due to take over.
(Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by David Holmes)
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