The 2012 Austrian Election Interlude: The rise of Frank Stronach and more ...

[Kevinstat]

It seems like there will be another SPÖVP Grand Coalition in Styria announced on Tuesday.

And in Vienna, it seems like we won´t see a coalition until November, because both the Greens and the ÖVP are in the game to be a partner of the SPÖ.

In the end we´ll see a coalition partner that is more convenient for the SPÖ and that will not have as many demands. That should be the ÖVP I guess.

If we indeed have 2 new Grand Coalitions of SPÖVP in Styria and Vienna and the federal SPÖVP government, that should be good news for Strache and the FPÖ for the 2013 parliamentary elections.

So was the SPÖVP coalition in Stryia announced on Tuesday?  And besides Vienna (unless an agreement has already been reached there), what parties are presently in government in each of the other states in Austria, and which party is the governor from in each of them?

[Kevinstat]

There will be no elections in Austria for the next 3 years, therefore the FPÖ and Strache will continue his strong opposition against the federal SPÖVP government and the BZÖ is done.

If the federal government sucks in the next 3 years, Strache may be well positioned for a '99 style election result.

Will there be any municipal elections in Austria before 2013?  Any in significant cities?

Not counting elections below the state (and Vienna) level, when is the next election presently scheduled to be, and what is that election?  Might there be elections ealier somewhere if a coalition breaks down or a popular government desires an earlier election, or are term lengths set in Austria?  Or does it vary depending on the level of government or the state for state/Vienna city governments.

If you know, when will the next elections be in each state?  And when will the next Parliamentary, Presidential and European Parliament elections be?

You say the "the BZÖ is done," but they still have the governorship of Carinthia where the FPÖ didn't win any seats in the last election.  Do you expect the BZÖ to merge with the FPÖ?  The BZÖ developing a formal CSU-style relationship with the FPÖ?  Or neither but the BZÖ becoming a nothing party (with no chance of winning any seats) at the state level (and gradually most if not all municipalities at the municipal level) outside of Carnithia, with or without the FPÖ becoming (remaining?) a nothing party in Carinthia?

[Kevinstat]

Here's a portrait of him if you understand some German:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsKHsP-BYPY

Seems like my sort of politician. I'm guessing he's a quite likly ÖVP leader sometime in the future.

Anyway, besides the fact the President has said he'd never appoint such an government, what's the liklyhood of an FPÖ-ÖVP coalition after the next election?

What if (hypothetically) the FPÖ won a majority of seats in the federal parliament.  Could the President refuse to appoint that government?  What role (beyond ceremonial) does the president have over such things?