Christian Stocker has been sworn in as Austria’s new chancellor, heading a three-party coalition government. His appointment marks end of a five-month political deadlock that followed an election win by a far-right party. Stocker, who began his political career as a lawmaker in 2019 and previously served as deputy mayor in Wiener Neustadt near Vienna, officially took office at Hofburg Palace.
New Leadership:
- Christian Stocker becomes the new Chancellor of Austria, leading a coalition government composed of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), Social Democrats, and the liberal Neos party.
- His appointment ends a prolonged period of political uncertainty following the far-right party’s election victory.
India – Austria Relations
Historical Ties:
- In June 1955, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru made a historic state visit to Austria, shortly after the country gained full independence following the State Treaty.
- India played a significant role in Austria’s negotiations with the Soviet Union for its independence in 1955.
Economic and Diplomatic Collaboration:
- The Indo-Austrian Joint Economic Commission (JEC), established in 1983, provides a platform for bilateral engagement between governmental ministries and industry chambers.
- Austria’s first two satellites, TUGSAT-1/BRITE and UniBRITE, were launched from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, in 2013.
- India and Austria celebrated 75 years of bilateral relations in 2024, with high-level visits reinforcing strong ties.
Recent High-Level Interactions:
- In September 2021, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla visited Vienna for the 5th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament.
- In February 2019, Austria’s then Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl met with Sushma Swaraj in India.
About Austria
Geography & Capital:
- Capital: Vienna.
- Located in southern Central Europe, Austria is highly mountainous due to its location within the Alps.
- The country is known for the Austrian Alps, which form its mountainous backbone.
- Austria is in southern Central Europe and borders eight countries:
- Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.
- International Membership: Member of the European Union (EU) since 1995. Also a member of key international organizations such as the OECD, WTO, IMF, and WHO.