Strong Trust Ratings for New Austrian Government

The newly formed Austrian government has received a notably positive reception from voters, as reflected in the latest APA/OGM Trust Index. Over half of the government members have reported trust ratings in the positive range, a trend reminiscent of the initial reception of the turquoise-green coalition in 2020, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leading the rankings is Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer from the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), who enjoys the highest approval rating among his peers. Other government officials have also fared well, with Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr following closely behind, along with Justice Minister Anna Sporrer, Women and Science Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner, and Social Minister Korinna Schumann all achieving commendable scores.

Among the new entrants, State Secretary Josef Schellhorn from NEOS ranks highest, while the most well-rated non-newcomer is Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, who heads NEOS and has secured a solid trust rating. Chancellor Christian Stocker from the People's Party (ÖVP) is positioned just behind her, indicating a generally favorable outlook for the new leadership.

In contrast, several long-standing government members have not performed as well. Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig, despite a negative trust rating, has shown improvement, increasing his score by ten points since last August. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm, both from the ÖVP, find themselves in a similar situation, struggling to garner positive feedback.

The leaders of the SPÖ and the Greens, Andreas Babler and Werner Kogler, respectively, are also among those with lower ratings, although they too have seen some positive shifts in their scores. The trust index has remained relatively stable at both ends since the last survey conducted in August 2024.

At the top of the trust index is Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, who enjoys a trust score of +24, reflecting a recovery from previous lows following the government formation process. He is closely followed by Doris Bures, the Third President of the National Council (SPÖ).

On the lower end of the spectrum, Herbert Kickl, the leader of the Freedom Party (FPÖ), recorded the poorest trust rating at -43, the only official to see a decrease from the last assessment. He is positioned ahead of ÖVP and Green party leaders, August Wöginger and Sigrid Pilz, respectively, who also received negative ratings.

OGM Director Wolfgang Bachmayer attributes the favorable ratings to the government's current stance, noting that anticipated reforms and budget cuts have so far been downplayed, suggesting that the initial approval may not last indefinitely. The Trust Index is based on an online survey of 1,029 representative voters conducted from April 4 to April 9, 2025, with a margin of error of ±3.1%.