Government Approaches Agreement on Messenger Surveillance

The smallest coalition partner has announced that the recent discussions do not yet indicate a formal decision on the sensitive topic of messenger surveillance. The NEOS party has advocated for an extended review period of eight weeks to allow for comprehensive consideration of the issues at hand.

Within the coalition, further intensive discussions are anticipated in this phase. The NEOS have pointed out that the current draft requires several improvements before it can move forward.

Another topic on the agenda for Tuesday includes the future security policy of the nation. The coalition intends to actively engage in the forthcoming developments of the European Defense Union.

In a succinct address, the leaders of the government, including Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP), Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler (SPÖ), and Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS), reiterated their commitment to collective reform efforts. The Chancellor also announced plans to present a work agenda for the upcoming months during their retreat.

The government is seeking advice from experts, with crisis consultant Peter Vorhofer and economist Harald Oberhofer contributing on the first day. On Wednesday, the focus will shift to labor market and economic issues, with the heads of the Public Employment Service, Petra Draxl and Johannes Kopf, expected to join discussions at the Chancellor's office.