The year is coming to an end, Austria is slowly shutting down, looking forward to the Christmas rest - and the Austrian government is hanging on the ropes.
This is less because 2022 was challenging with its many crises.
It's more because the government is running out of breath on several major projects.
Speculations are growing loud again that the coalition could burst before the regular election date of 2024.
There are numerous tasks that the ÖVP and the Greens could still implement together.
An overview of what is politically pending in 2023 - or must be pending if the government wants to continue working:
1. Transparency and fight against corruption
The past months and years have clearly shown that there is a lack of transparency in Austria.
The numerous political affairs and scandals might not have been completely avoidable with better laws, but they might have become apparent earlier.
Much of what the government has set out to do in the fight against corruption is in danger of failing: the freedom of information law, which has actually been negotiated and which includes the abolition of official secrecy, is being blocked by the ÖVP-led federal states.
Austria is the last country in the EU to deny its citizens the right to information from government agencies.
This project must now get moving again, and the government knows that too.
A meeting was held on Monday with representatives of several non-governmental organizations working to abolish official secrecy.
At least that's a glimmer of hope.
2. Climate protection
At the beginning of the 2020 legislative period, then-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz issued a government motto: "The best of both worlds." What was meant by this was that the ÖVP set a hard course against refugees and migrants, the Greens should take care of climate protection.
In the meantime, a CO2 price has been introduced as part of a tax reform.
The interests of the two parties were at odds with many other climate and environmental projects.
For example, a climate protection law has been overdue for two years, which should provide a clear path for how Austria can specifically reduce its emissions by 2040.
The law would be essential for Austria to achieve its climate goals - and is therefore also politically important for the Greens to remain credible in the coalition.
The government also wanted to ban the installation of new gas heaters.
The project has just been postponed to next year.
3. Asylum and migration
Under Chancellor Karl Nehammer, the ÖVP's heart and soul was initially quiet.
The war in Ukraine and inflation were the focus of the new head of government.
In the meantime, tough announcements in the direction of migrants are part of everyday political life in the Chancellor's Party.
ÖVP parliamentary group leader August Wöginger recently suggested changing the European Convention on Human Rights in order to have to take in fewer asylum seekers.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner became known throughout Europe through a veto: Austria prevented Romania and Bulgaria from joining the Schengen area.
The Greens say little about all this.
In the coming year, however, the government will again have to find a common way to deal with the issue.
Because at EU level, there is no sign of agreement on anything that the ÖVP is currently demanding, such as asylum procedures at the EU's external borders.
Of course, the 2022 coalition was not completely idle.
In order to be able to report a success before Christmas, at least the agreement on brokerage fees was announced.
In a kind of revival retreat, the ÖVP and the Greens want to meet near Vienna in January to coordinate the projects for the new year.
We can be excited.
In between, a message on our own behalf: the newsletter and our podcast "Inside Austria" are now going on a short winter break.
I would therefore like to suggest you the podcast from last Saturday: the second part of our series on Austrian winter tourism and the legendary Tyrolean town of Kitzbühel.
Social Media Moment of the Week:
Austria's ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz visited the World Cup in Qatar - and watched the final on the political VIP stand with "friends".
Stories we recommend you today:
Reconstruction: Schengen accession - A Njet with consequences
Chats: Mission Mikl-Leitner - How Robert Ziegler leads ORF Lower Austria
Question & Answer: What is known so far about the strange case of the Russian spy in Austria
Transparency: The government does not want to commit itself to abolishing official secrecy
On January 14th, the first episode of "Inside Austria" will be available in the new year.
The next newsletter will arrive in your mailbox on January 3rd.
Until then, I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Yours, Katharina Mittelstaedt,
Deputy Head of Department for Domestic Policy and Chronicle of DER STANDARD