Austria's 2 major parties in talks to continue grand coalition government

Both parties to Austria's "grand coalition" government entered three-hour talks on a continuation of their two-party coalition arrangement Monday, following the national election on Sunday. Despite sustaining some of the most considerable losses in their respective histories, the Social Democrats (SPOe) and the conservative People's Party (OeVP) have a combined vote of just over 50 percent, giving them the numbers to form the same coalition government they did following the last elections in 2008. Leader of the SPOe and current Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said "almost all" presidium members in his party were in favor of the negotiations for a renewed coalition government with the OeVP, and that the same positions represented by his party during the election campaign would be incorporated during the talks. He added there were currently "no parallel negotiations" with other parties, state broadcaster ORF reported. He said his party was approaching talks with the OeVP with an open view and an element of trust, and that he believed the OeVP was doing the same. He did not put a time frame on when he expected a result from the talks, but said quick progress would be a good sign. Despite predictions from some political analysts that a continuation of the existing coalition is highly likely, OeVP leader and Austrian Vice-President Michael Spindelegger said he was not yet committed to the idea. Other alternatives were also worth considering, he added, such as a three-party coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) and new party Team Stronach, both of whom gained considerable ground on Sunday. Prominent members of the SPOe however warned of a coalition to the right of center, with Faymann having already declared himself on Sunday opposed to an arrangement that would see the FPOe in a ruling coalition.