Innsbruck (OTS) – Anton Mattle has made up his mind overnight: He does not want to govern with this FPÖ. In terms of election tactics, his functionaries have to swallow twice. After all, the head of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) also brings the party’s own unloved three-party coalition into play.
There are good reasons to rule out the FPÖ as a possible government partner even before the state elections. After all, especially in election campaigns, social division and agitation are made the central program by the blue hotheads, and not only toward people with an immigrant background. Governor Günther Platter already had nothing to do with this politically, but the former head of the Austrian People’s Party always kept all government options open in terms of election tactics and strategy. On the other hand, the farmers’ and business associations have traditionally had little fear of contact with the Freedom Party.
It is surprising that ÖVP candidate for governor Anton Mattle is suddenly abandoning the Platter principle. Probably also his party friends. However, the regional councillor for economic affairs ticks similarly to Platter. The rejection of a government with the FPÖ, which no one would have considered very likely anyway, certainly corresponds to Mattle’s attitude. And his world view. He can no longer go back; his center-left government course is set.
So the people know what they can expect from Mattle. The media, in turn, must applaud him; after all, they are the ones who ask the coalition question at every possible opportunity – and have now received an answer. The Freedom Party will gratefully accept it, fire up a camp election campaign and warn even more urgently against an “extreme shift to the left” within the ÖVP. Some there are likely to swallow, yet grudgingly accept Mattle’s advance. What else can they do if they do not want to expose their top candidate and thus weaken him?
For the first time, and this seems to be the flight forward to weaken the self-restraint of the coalition variants, Mattle brings a state government of three parties into play. In order not to completely surrender to the Social Democrats, if necessary, and to anticipate a new political reality in Tyrol, a two-party coalition should not even be a possibility after September 25. Is Mattle thus demonstrating leadership? Perhaps. Until now, one had the impression that the head of the Austrian People’s Party was more of a passenger than a helmsman. With his clear “no” to the Freedom Party and courage for something new – for example, governing as a trio with the Greens and NEOS or with the SPÖ, Greens and NEOS – Mattle could break out of the entrenched political patterns in Tyrol. The only problem is that there are strong reservations about a three-party coalition in the Tyrolean People’s Party, which is dominated by alliances. That’s why Mattle would have to convince his party first and foremost, rather than the population.
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The post TIROLER TAGESZEITUNG “Leitartikel” Issue of August 25, 2022, by Peter Nindler: “Abkehr vom Platter-Prinzip” appeared first on TOP News Austria – News from Austria and around the world.
