There will be no more “Orban” in Austria, new government will support Ukraine – expert

This opinion was voiced by Austrian psychologist Martin Malek in an interview with Ukrinform.

“The program of the new Austrian federal government contains important points concerning Ukraine. It states that Austria “will continue its commitment to the stabilization of the European neighborhood, including support for the European course of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.” The focus will be on humanitarian aid to Ukraine and reconstruction efforts, and a special coordinator for Ukraine will be appointed,” Malek noted, commenting on the position of the new government alliance regarding support for Ukraine.

He added that the program also states that the new federal government condemns Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine and supports Austria's efforts together with its EU partners “to achieve a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace based on international law.” Moreover, the government confirms that “no negotiations should take place without Ukraine's participation.”

“Considering this, it can be assumed that Austria's current support for Ukraine will continue both bilaterally and within the framework of EU policy. The emergence of a new “Orban” in Austria is excluded,” the political scientist emphasizes.

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He noted that a striking example of this position was the fact that the new Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger from the liberal NEOS party made her first bilateral visit to Kyiv, where she met with the leadership of Ukraine.

“On the one hand, I am sure that Meinl-Reisinger will strive to support Ukraine, and it is no coincidence that she appointed Austrian Ambassador to Ukraine Arad Benkö as the head of her office. On the other hand, she will have to act under tough conditions, the key ones being the Austrian Neutrality Act of 1955 and the restrictions of austerity, which are already becoming obvious,” the expert explained.

Malek said it was unlikely that the new Austrian government would begin supplying Ukraine with weapons or significantly increasing financial and humanitarian aid. However, other measures, including efforts to limit Russian influence, could not be ruled out.

“One very significant form of support for Ukraine could be the reduction or even termination of the presence of Austrian companies in Russia, since they contribute to its military budget through taxes. However, I consider this extremely unlikely,” Malek said.

He added that it was also extremely important to prevent the activities of Russian special services in Austria. “But this would require actions that the new government is unlikely to take due to its 'fear' of Moscow (even if no one in Vienna officially admits this, of course),” the scientist concluded.

As reported by Ukrinform, on March 3, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen swore in the new chancellor, the leader of the Austrian Pele Party (ÖVP) Christian Stocker. The new government coalition included the conservative Austrian Pele Party, the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), and the liberal NEOS party.

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The main task of the new Austrian government is to overcome the economic downturn in the country and solve the problem of the budget deficit, which amounts to almost 4% of GDP, and record debts approaching 400 billion euros.

To avoid the EU's excessive deficit procedure, Austria will need to reduce its budget deficit by €18-24 billion in the coming years. This includes spending cuts of around €6 billion in the first year alone.