The Austrian Chancellor said that Ukraine and Russia should sit down at the negotiating table “without preliminary agreements.”
Vienna is ready to act as a venue for the talks as the country where the OSCE headquarters is located, said Karl Negammer, because Austria is ready to support “a just and lasting peace that must be based exclusively on international law.”
Any negotiations must take place without preconditions and on an equal footing, the politician said.
The next elections to the National Council (lower house of parliament) of Austria will be held on September 29.
According to social surveys, the results of the parliamentary elections in Austria will most likely change the configuration of power. The Austrian People’s Party, headed by Chancellor Karl Negammer, could become second or even third – approximately 23% of voters are ready to vote for it and the opposition Social Democratic Party of Austria.
The right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria with pro-Russian views could receive the most votes (27%) and, accordingly, the first right to form a government coalition.
The Green Party, which is now the smaller partner in the government coalition, could get around 9%, which is about 5% less than its result in the previous election in 2019. The liberal party NEOS expects around 10% of the vote in the election.
A political newcomer, the Beer Party, may overcome the 4% barrier and enter parliament this year. This new political force, which does not yet have a clear political orientation, may receive about 6%, according to opinion polls.
For the first time, the Communist Party of Austria (3%) is close to overcoming the threshold for entry into the National Council.
The right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) used an anti-Ukrainian theme in its election campaign for the European Parliament elections.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.