The Austrian government is to continue, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said, despite a serious crisis engulfing his coalition on Monday, after an environment minister voted against government policy in support of a much fought-over EU conservation law.
Asked if he wanted to end the coalition Nehammer said that despite his emotional reaction that it "makes no sense" for his government to continue after such defiance, he would not plunge Austria into chaos.
European Union environment ministers on Monday approved the controversial Nature Restoration Law with Austrian Environment Minister Leonor Gewessler's decision to back the law - against the wishes of Nehammer - providing the necessary majority.
Her decision sparked uproar in Vienna, with Nehammer saying he will seek to overturn the decision in the EU's top court. Gewessler's actions "were more than a breach of trust," Nehammer said.
The purpose of the Nature Restoration Law is to regrow forests, re-wet moors and return rivers to their natural, free-flowing states. The law has proven controversial, particularly because of fears of heavy restrictions on farmers.
Ministers for 20 of the EU's 27 member states voted in favour, representing 66% of the population.
A decision by EU member states was held up until now because not enough national ministers were prepared to back it, despite a preliminary agreement among senior diplomats last year.
Gewessler, a member of Austria's Greens, is also facing legal action from Nehammer's governing Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) with a charge of abuse of office.
The ÖVP argues Gewessler deliberately infringed constitutional law by voting for the EU law over the objection raised by Austria's states. Gewessler believes that this veto is no longer valid.