Söder visits Austria's Chancellor Nehammer - long-term dispute with Tyrol comes to the table

Created: 02/24/2022, 05:43

By: Felix Durach

Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder travels to Vienna and meets with Chancellor Nehammer.

One issue is high on the agenda.

The news ticker.

• On Thursday, Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder* travels to an inaugural visit to the Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

• It is the first visit by the CSU* boss to Austria since the corruption affair involving former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

• The meeting should also deal with the traffic situation on the Bavarian-Austrian border.

• This news ticker is continuously updated.

Vienna – Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder is a guest in the Austrian capital Vienna on Thursday to make his inaugural visit to the new Chancellor Karl Nehammer*.

For the CSU leader, it is the first visit to the neighboring Bavarian country since the political quake of the corruption scandal surrounding former Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP).

During Kurz's tenure, Söder had repeatedly spoken of a friendly relationship between Bavaria and Austria*.

A relationship that is now to be continued under the new Chancellor Nehammer.

There are numerous topics of conversation between the two heads of government.

However, the situation on the border between Bavaria and Austria should be high on the agenda.

Söder travels to Vienna: initial visit to Nehammer - Greens demand a solution to the ongoing dispute

The "block handling" of trucks is still heating up tempers.

The Greens in Bavaria and Tyrol recently called for a joint solution.

"Everyone, especially the CSU, would act in the same way as Tyrol - without this dosage, Tyrol would suffocate in traffic and you would be stuck in traffic jams for hours at rush hour," explains Ludwig Hartmann, leader of the Greens parliamentary group in the Bavarian state parliament.

On the Austrian side, there is also a lack of understanding of the border controls on the way to Germany because of the migration issue.

These measures are actually not necessary in the Schengen area, according to the Tyrolean Greens.

Söder meets Chancellor Nehammer in Vienna: the Tyrolean governor attends talks

In order to work on a joint solution, the Tyrolean governor Günther Platter (ÖVP) will also take part in the conversation between Nehammer and Söder.

The meeting between the Bavarian Prime Minister and the Austrian Chancellor is scheduled to take place on Thursday morning.

A press statement by the participants is then planned at around 12.30 p.m.

Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) receives the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder on Thursday.

© Georg Hochmuth/AFP

Austria: Söder meets Chancellor Nehammer for the first time

Nehammer has held the office of Chancellor since December 6, 2022, becoming the third head of government in just two months.

On October 9, Sebastian Kurz announced in the context of the ÖVP corruption affair* that he would resign from his post as Chancellor, but wanted to stay in the Austrian People's Party as party leader and club chairman for the time being.

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg* took over the office of head of government.

On December 2, 2021, Kurz announced that he would withdraw completely from politics and give up his posts.

Schallenberg then moved back to the Foreign Ministry and Nehammer, who was a member of the cabinet as Interior Minister, rose to become Chancellor.