Austria's new government takes office 5 months after elections

VIENNA

Austria’s three-party coalition government took office on Monday, ending five months of political deadlock.

The new coalition, formed by the center-right Austrian People's Party (OVP), the Social Democratic Party (SPO), and the liberal NEOS, was announced last week.

OVP leader Christian Stocker was sworn in as chancellor alongside the country’s new government ministers and state secretaries at the presidential palace in Vienna.

“Good things come to those who wait,” President Alexander Van der Bellen said during the ceremony, thanking the parties for negotiating.

He added that the nation expects action, not just words, from the new government.

The new Cabinet has nine members from the center-right OVP, nine from the SPO, and three from NEOS.

The coalition deal follows the far-right Freedom Party’s victory in last September’s election, when it won the most votes but failed to secure a majority.

With only 29% of the vote, the party tried to form a government with the OVP, but talks collapsed.