And now it has happened.
185 times in the history of the 2nd republic, the parliament didn't get a majority to collapse the government.
Today was the 186th time. Today it got a majority, and our chancellor, the poster boy of the new populist convervatives, is now officially, the shortest reigning chancellor ever.
Hybris.
Yeah, probably.
But the socialists were in a bind anyway. If they wouldn't do it their party officials (try finding a translation for Funktionär...) are pissed, if they do maybe some voters. But i gotta question: If a voter is happy with Kurz anyway, why should he vote SPÖ in the first place? As you need both for the election, and as we all know in Austria it is extremely important to mobilize your officials - i think they didn't really have a choice.
At first i was surprised why they voted against the whole government, and not just the chancellor, but it seems that this way the FPÖ was more likely to follow. They obviously wanted revenge on Kneissl. Good riddance.
On another note, and a bit more for the rest of the people in this thread:
You know our vice-chancellor, the guy who got very prominent last weekend? The politician who was quick to sell european interests to Putin? Well, he got his punishment. Austrians voted him into the EU parliament (originally he was on the last place of the list (which is common in austria, because he is the leader of the party, and some people just write the name of the party leader onto the ballot. Without the party leader being on the ballot that vote would be void otherwise.) but he got enough direct votes with people writing his name on the ballot - all in all about 35k votes (with an electorate of approx. 5 milion)) Böhmermann was right. We really are a nation of idiot pricks.
Though i'm one of these left-left goodies, i do not have a lot of hope. The SPÖ is hopelessly lost, and trying to find a message they can get behind - and they fail since neo-liberal socialism died with Vranitzky and Klima. What did Gusenbauer, Faymann, Kern and Redi-Wagner even stand for? Also i get annoyed that the try to overtake the FPÖ on the right side every opportunity they get, trying to fish from the FPÖ.
The Greens... well if they can get past their internal strife, maybe. Though to be honest, while i do like the Greens still the most from a political point of view. There is no party i'm more disappointed in (apart from Jetzt maybe) because of this whole debacle with Glawischnig. The problem is: The greens were the party teaching us that private is political and vice versa. They greens had high moral standards, and selling yourself immediately to the worst business in the country is just horrible.
Hell, i didn't expect more from the likes of Gusenbauer. But from the greens? And i'm still very bitter about that, and also how the greens handled themselves after that whole fiasco. No hint of remorse. Damn, I'm already getting angry typing this...
It will be hard for me to decide in september. Yesterday it was at least an easy vote. There is only one party making european unification their top priority. And that party will alway get my vote in EU elections.
Its very likely that Kurz will win the next election if i look at the European election .
Likely, but probably not 50%. So thew question remains: Which kind of government is possible afterwards?
The FPÖ is now taboo for the next few years (and even if not, there wont be a coalition of Kurz - Kickl, and neither party will get rid of their guy)
The SPö is not likely, as no one would like this coalition, and they don't trust each other
Leaves as possibility:
ÖVP + Neos, ÖVP + Greens, ÖVP + Greens + Neos - which would be interesting, as it would be similar to the previous government, but immigration etc. would be a 180 turn.
In Austria, it's very rare for people to switch and not vote on party lines - so a small minority is not that of a big deal (historically speaking).
There are some theoretical possibilities: ÖVP + Neos + Greens seems possible even without a big shift over the summer.
@Mayhem: What really annoys me is the slogan they use since yesterday: "The parliament does, but the people will decide". That's dangerous. Playing people against the parliament is how civil wars start. Not even the FPÖ does this shit.
Far right involved with Russians... not very shocking.
The far right essentially love Russia because they're basically a right wing white ethno state