New Austrian Chancellor sworn in, who is 65-year-old

The new ruling coalition will consist of the People's Party of the Right Centre (ÖVP), Social Democrats (SPÖ), and the liberal Neos party.

At the swearing-in ceremony, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen greeted the formation of the government with a joke, saying “The good things come to those waiting for”.

Stocker, a lawyer without previous experience in the executives, now heads Austria's first three-party government since the late 1940s. He is the third Chancellor of the ⇩VP to take office for the first time without leading the party during the election campaign.

Stocker is an Austrian politician, member of the People's Party (ÖVP). He has served as a member of the National Council from 2019 to his appointment as Chancellor and has held the post of secretary general of the People's Party from 21 January to 22 September 2022. On January 5th 2025, he was elected president of the People's Party, following Chancellor Carl Nehammer's resignation.

The coalition agreement was agreed last week and the final obstacle was unblocked on Sunday, when it was approved by the general assembly of the liberal party Neos.

Although the three parties have reached an agreement on a 200-page government programme, they will have to draft many other policies during the mandate, creating the possibility for tensions within the alliance.

“Will it be easy? No. Are negotiations over? No,” said Beate Meinl-Resinger, head of Neo, at a party meeting Sunday.

Freedom Party (FPÖ) will constantly pressure and have started this since Monday.

The only thing that unites this losing coalition is the thirst for power,” said FP thereby on X, referring to the trilateral coalition.