History of NEOS (Austria) in Timeline

NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum is a liberal political party in Austria. Founded as NEOS – The New Austria in 2012, it merged with the Liberal Forum in 2014, taking its current name. The party represents a liberal political viewpoint within the Austrian political landscape.

October 2012: Founding Convention and Election of Matthias Strolz

On October 27, 2012, NEOS held its founding convention where Matthias Strolz was elected chairman with 96.2% of the votes. He outlined the party's goals to combat stagnation and corruption and to appeal to moderate voters.

2012: Foundation of NEOS X – International

In 2012, NEOS X – International, the regional organization for Austrians abroad, was founded to represent their concerns, advocate for a separate constituency, simplify voting in elections, promote dual citizenship, and minimize bureaucracy for Austrians living abroad.

2012: NEOS Founding

In 2012, NEOS – The New Austria was founded, marking the beginning of the liberal political party in Austria.

January 2013: Membership Growth

By January 2013, NEOS reportedly had over 1,000 members, indicating growth in the party's support base.

March 2013: Alliance with Liberal Forum and JuLis

In March 2013, NEOS formed an alliance with the Liberal Forum and JuLis – Young Liberals Austria, operating under the NEOS brand.

May 2013: Announcement of the NEOS federal list

On May 1, 2013, NEOS announced the final composition of the NEOS federal list, marking the culmination of the public primaries.

December 2013: Intention to Run in Vorarlberg State Election

In December 2013, NEOS announced its intention to participate in the 2014 Vorarlberg state election, with high expectations due to it being the home state of chairman Strolz.

2013: NEOS receives public funding

After the 2013 legislative election, NEOS started receiving around €4.9 million per year in public funding. Before this, the party was financed exclusively through donations, with donors listed online. In the first half of 2013, Hans Peter Haselsteiner donated €200,000 to NEOS.

2013: Agreement to merge after success in the 2013 election

After their success in the 2013 election, NEOS and Liberal Forum agreed to merge into a single party.

2013: Federal election

In the 2013 federal election, NEOS held open primaries to determine its candidates for the upcoming election.

2013: Increase from 2013 elections

NEOS again held public primaries for their federal list, in which over 3,500 people voted; Strolz was elected top candidate, while deputy leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger was third, Gerald Loacker fourth, and Sepp Schellhorn fifth.

January 2014: Merger Approval and Leadership Election

On January 25, 2014, the merger between NEOS and Liberal Forum was approved. Strolz was re-elected chairman, and Angelika Mlinar and Beate Meinl-Reisinger were elected as deputy leaders. The party officially adopted the name "NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum".

March 2014: Success in Salzburg Municipal Elections

On March 9, 2014, NEOS achieved a notable result in the municipal elections in Salzburg, securing 12.4% of the vote and five seats on the council.

2014: European Elections and ALDE Membership

In 2014, Angelika Mlinar was elected as the top candidate. NEOS became a full member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. In the election on May 25, NEOS won 8.14% of votes and one seat in the European Parliament.

2014: Vorarlberg State Election Result

In 2014, NEOS achieved 6.89% of the vote and two seats in the Vorarlberg state election, falling short of parliamentary group status.

2014: Merger with Liberal Forum

In 2014, NEOS merged with the Liberal Forum, resulting in the adoption of its current name: NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum.

2014: Gained votes compared to 2014 European elections

NEOS gained 90,000 votes compared to the 2014 European elections.

2015: Municipal Elections in Lower Austria

In 2015, NEOS participated in municipal elections in Lower Austria, focusing on areas around Vienna. They joined a coalition in Guntramsdorf, resulting in Elisabeth Manz becoming the first NEOS Vice Mayor in Austria. NEOS won 36 seats overall.

2015: Slight improvement compared to 2015 elections

In October 2020, NEOS achieved a small improvement from the 2015 elections.

2015: Decline compared to 2015 in Burgenland state election

In the 2020 Burgenland state election, NEOS declined by 0.62% from 2015.

2016: Analysis by the University of Vienna

In a 2016 analysis by the University of Vienna, political scientists described NEOS as a "classic party of the centre", noting its overlap with the ÖVP in economic and tax policy, and with the Greens in social and education policy.

2016: Presidential Election Support

In the 2016 presidential election, NEOS provided "selective support" to both Alexander van der Bellen and Irmgard Griss, with Strolz favoring a runoff between them. Van der Bellen ultimately won the re-run election.

February 2017: Municipal Elections in Graz

In February 2017, NEOS won 3.94% of votes and one seat in the municipal elections in Graz, Austria's second largest city.

March 2017: Christoph Vavrik's Defection to ÖVP

In March 2017, NEOS member Christoph Vavrik faced criticism for a homophobic Facebook post and, after initially agreeing to resign, defected to the ÖVP group, reducing the NEOS group to eight deputies.

May 2017: Snap Legislative Election Called

In May 2017, a snap legislative election was called and scheduled for October. NEOS began preparing for the election.

October 2017: State Election Announcements

In October 2017, NEOS announced its intention to participate in upcoming state elections in Lower Austria, Tyrol, and Salzburg.

2017: Increase in Parliamentary Group Size

NEOS won 8.10% of votes in the election, a 2.8 percentage point increase from 2017. This increased their parliamentary group from 10 to 15 seats.

January 2018: Entry into Lower Austrian Landtag

On January 28, 2018, NEOS entered the Lower Austrian Landtag with 5.15% of the votes and three seats.

May 2018: Strolz's Resignation Announcement

On May 7, 2018, Matthias Strolz unexpectedly announced his resignation as NEOS chairman at the end of June and from the National Council in autumn.

June 2018: Beate Meinl-Reisinger Elected as Chairwoman

On June 23, 2018, Beate Meinl-Reisinger was elected as NEOS chairwoman, succeeding Matthias Strolz. Nikolaus Scherak and Sepp Schellhorn were elected as deputy leaders.

2018: Coalition Partner in Salzburg

From 2018 to 2023, NEOS was a coalition partner with the ÖVP and the Greens in the state government in Salzburg.

2018: Beate Meinl-Reisinger Becomes Chairwoman

In 2018, Beate Meinl-Reisinger became NEOS's chairwoman, marking a leadership change within the party.

March 2019: Appointment of Robert Luschnik

In March 2019, NEOS announced that Robert Luschnik would become the federal managing director in July.

May 2019: Snap Legislative Election and Alliance with Brandstätter

In May 2019, a snap legislative election was called for September. NEOS announced an alliance with Helmut Brandstätter, who was placed second on the federal list. He also published a book titled "Kurz & Kickl - Their Game with Power and Fear".

2019: NEOS identifies four key policy areas

In 2019, NEOS identified four key policy areas in its election programme.

2019: European Election Result

In the 2019 European elections, NEOS, running as "NEOS – The New Europe", retained their single MEP, with Claudia Gamon as the top candidate.

October 2020: Viennese State Election Success and Coalition Talks

In October 2020, NEOS achieved a major success in the Viennese state election, winning 7.47% of the votes. The SPÖ, explored a coalition with NEOS and on October 27, the mayor announced that he will seek a coalition agreement with NEOS.

2020: Burgenland State Election Result

In the 2020 Burgenland state election, NEOS failed to enter the Landtag, securing only 1.71% of the votes.

2020: Coalition Partner in Vienna

Since 2020, NEOS has been a coalition partner in the Vienna state and city government together with the SPÖ.

June 2021: Party Congress and Leadership Re-election

In June 2021, NEOS held a party congress. Meinl-Reisinger was re-elected chairwoman, Douglas Hoyos replaced Nick Dönig as general-secretary, and Andrea Klambauer and Christoph Wiederkehr were elected as deputy leaders.

2023: End of Coalition in Salzburg

In 2023, NEOS's role as a coalition partner with the ÖVP and the Greens in the state government in Salzburg ended.

March 2024: NEOS party representation

As of March 2024, NEOS party is represented by an eight-member state party executive committee led by state spokesperson Arlette Zakarian from Strasbourg and the deputy state spokesman Klaus Kitzmüller, along with ten official representatives (Reps) in various cities and states.