Trust Boost for the New Coalition Government

The newly formed coalition government in Austria is receiving a significant boost in public trust, as indicated by the latest APA/OGM trust index. More than half of the cabinet members are viewed positively by the electorate, a phenomenon reminiscent of the initial reception of the previous turquoise-green government back in 2020, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leading the trust rankings among government officials is Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer from the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), who boasts a trust balance of +9. Other notable figures include Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr (+8), Justice Minister Anna Sporrer (+6), Women and Science Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner (+5), and Social Minister Korinna Schumann (+5), all of whom have garnered favorable ratings.

In the realm of state secretaries, Josef Schellhorn from the NEOS party is the top performer, while Foreign Minister and NEOS leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger ranks as the highest-rated non-newcomer with a balance of +4. Following her is Chancellor Christian Stocker from the People's Party (ÖVP) with a score of +3.

In contrast, members of the previous government are not faring as well. Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig leads the group with a trust balance of -5, although he has improved his standing by ten points since August of the previous year. Similar trends are noted for Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm, both from the ÖVP. The leaders of the SPÖ and the Greens, Andreas Babler (-19) and Werner Kogler (-13), also occupy lower rankings, albeit with some gains.

The trust pyramid has seen little change at its peak and base since the last index was released in August 2024. President Alexander Van der Bellen retains the highest trust balance at +24, improving by seven points since the last survey, showing recovery from a prior low during the government formation process. Dritte Nationalratspräsidentin Doris Bures from the SPÖ follows closely behind.

At the bottom of the trust rankings is Herbert Kickl, leader of the Freedom Party (FPÖ), with a significantly negative balance of -43. He leads the list of the least trusted officials, followed by ÖVP's August Wöginger (-24) and the Greens' Sigrid Pilz (-22). Notably, Kickl is the only individual whose ratings have declined since the last survey, losing one point. National Council President Walter Rosenkranz, criticized for his background in a student fraternity, ranks lowest among newcomers with a score of -21.

OGM Chief Wolfgang Bachmayer attributes the positive ratings to the fact that necessary reforms and significant budget cuts are still largely unaddressed or minimized in public discourse. He raised a pertinent question regarding the sustainability of this initial period of optimism among the media and voters.

The trust index is based on a survey conducted with 1,029 representative eligible voters in Austria between April 4 and April 9, 2025. The margin of error for this survey is ±3.1 percent. The trust balance is calculated as the difference between the percentages of respondents who express trust versus those who do not.