Austrian Government Sworn In: Record Number of Ministers and State Secretaries Appointed

On March 3, Austria's ministers and state secretaries were sworn in at the Federal President's office. The formation of the government took approximately five months. Christian Stocker, leader of the Austrian People's Party (ANP), assumed the role of chancellor on Monday, March 3. The period between the elections to the Austrian Parliament and the formation of the new government was nearly five months. President Alexander Van der Bellen stated during the swearing-in ceremony at the Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna. The cabinet, under Stocker, includes the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SDPA) and the NEOS party. This marks the first three-party coalition in Austrian history. On March 3, thirteen ministers and seven state secretaries were sworn in. According to Reuters, this is a record number of government officials. The duties of the federal chancellor of Austria are temporarily being performed by Minister for Constitutional Affairs Alexander Schallenberg. The Freedom Party of Austria (APS), which garnered 28.8 percent of the vote in the snap elections in Austria in September 2024, was not included in the coalition. The ANP secured second place with 26.3 percent, the Social Democrats obtained 21.1 percent, and the NEOS party received just over eight percent.