Four reasons a coalition government between Conservatives and Greens is what Austria needs right now

Since election day in late September 2019, the first coalition between Conservatives and Greens on the national level seemed likely. After weeks of negotiations, the forming of that coalition government was officially announced on Jan 1, 2020. Here's my take on why I think this is the best coalition (under the circumstances): 

1 Honoring the outcome of the election and delivering on the top priorities of citizens 

Even sceptics need to concede that the Conservative and Green parties were the clear winners of the Fall 2019 election campaign. While ?VP took a landslide 37,5% of the vote (+ 5,99% from what was already an impressive win in 2017), the Greens managed 13.9% (+ 10,10%), which gives both parties together a swing of + 16% - a clear mandate. 

At the same time, this result reflected the top areas of concern/policy priorities of citizens. Migration is still a key concern for many given the events of 2015 and after; however, in the wake of "Fridays for Future" and a historically hot summer, climate change and sustainability actually took the top spot. Even though these are quite separate issues and even though Conservatives and Greens have different approaches toward them, the coalition should be able to deliver on both – as Sebastian Kurz said: “Yes, it is doable to protect both the climate, and our borders.”

2 Continuing some of the unfinished reforms of Kurz I (e.g. income tax relief)

The last coalition government ended somewhat abruptly in May 2019. While some successful reforms had been implemented at that point, a few flagship projects were left up in the air. The new government now has the opportunity to see them through. This is particularly vital in the area of tax reform, where a reduction of personal income and corporate taxes should be implemented by 2021. It is equally vital in the area of social care for the elderly, where the current system needs a makeover given the rising demand for care while supply does not hold place.

3 De-polarizing the country and political discourse

The fact that there’s historically a large ideological divide between Conservatives and Greens, and that this may make it harder to find consensus in certain areas, is certainly true. However, combining two parties from opposing sides of the political spectrum can also help in de-polarizing Austrian politics, and discourse at large. The inclusion of a party of the “left” means both that traditional concerns of the left will be taken into account in the policy agenda of the coalition (eg in terms of social security benefits), and that the “left” will not be able to denounce measures as “rightist” or “populist” as easily as in the former centre-right coalition.

4 A test case for Europe

Many commentators have argued that joining into a coalition with the Green party could be the way to go forward for major conservative parties in a number of European countries, most importantly Germany. If the coalition lives up to its potential, it could signal a significant shift in the dynamics of European politics at large.