Conservative People’s Party, Social Democrats, and liberal Neos to present a ‘common programme’ after deal.
Three political parties in Austria have announced that they have reached an agreement to form a coalition government, excluding the far-right Freedom Party (FPO). This comes five months after the FPO won the parliamentary election in September.
The conservative People’s Party (OVP), Social Democrats (SPO), and liberal Neos revealed that they will present their coalition at a press conference later on Thursday.
OVP leader Christian Stocker stated that a “common programme” has been agreed upon with the Social Democrats and their liberal coalition partners. Stocker is expected to become the new chancellor.
The announcement is expected to end the longest wait for a new government in Austria since World War II.
An initial attempt to form a ruling coalition with the same three parties collapsed in January, leading Chancellor Karl Nehammer to announce his resignation.
The Eurosceptic and Russia-friendly FPO was then tasked with forming a new government, but that effort also failed.
The soon-to-be-announced three-party government, Austria’s first since the late 1940s, is set to take office next week, provided all parties approve the deal. The main hurdle is a vote by Neos members on Sunday, where a two-thirds majority is required.
FPO leader Herbert Kickl has dismissed the coalition as a “coalition of losers”, calling for a snap election that opinion polls suggest would further increase his party’s share of the vote from the approximately 29 percent it secured in September.
The FPO often compares the centrist coalition effort to the three-party coalition in neighboring Germany, which recently collapsed.
The new coalition will face pressure to deliver results, including reducing the budget deficit and avoiding the kind of internal conflicts that have brought down previous governments.
“The first message this government has is ‘We are not Herbert Kickl, we prevented Herbert Kickl [from becoming chancellor]’,” political analyst Thomas Hofer said.
“That’s something, but it isn’t a forward-looking narrative,” he added, noting that the coalition will likely need to accomplish more than just presenting a programme to survive the five-year parliamentary term.
Stay updated with the latest news and updates by visiting our trusted sources: ZTC News and Z News Today. Explore in-depth articles, breaking stories, and more!