Sir, – Derek Scally describes the formation of a coalition between the Austrian Greens and the conservative People's Party (ÖVP) as "previously unthinkable" ("Is the Green movement now the political mainstream?", Opinion & Analysis, January 10th).
Unlikely perhaps, but not unthinkable.
In 2002, the ÖVP under Wolfgang Schüssel won 42.5 per cent of the vote and entered negotiations with the Greens, on 9.5 per cent, to form a government.
The Greens were led by Alexander Van der Bellen, currently the federal president.
Talks continued for several weeks but were ultimately unsuccessful as the Greens in Vienna could not stomach right-wing ÖVP policies.
At the general election on 29 September 2019, Sebastian Kurz’s conservative ÖVP won 37 per cent of the vote, and the Greens 14 per cent.
Pre-election polls showed that neither Green voters nor ÖVP voters were keen on the two parties forming a coalition.
After three months of behind closed doors’ negotiations, the two parties have agreed a 326-page programme for government.
How many of the 51 per cent who supported the coalition partners would now vote for a programme combining drastic action on climate change, including a commitment for all electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030, with a headscarf ban in schools, “precautionary detention” of asylum seekers and a hard line on immigration can only be guessed at.
My guess is precious few. – Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN DOHERTY,
Vienna.