In brief
Austria has successfully negotiated a new coalition government, excluding the far-right Freedom Party. This agreement marks a significant moment for mainstream parties after a challenging five-month negotiation period.
Three of Austria's major political parties declared on Thursday that they have formed a government coalition that intentionally leaves out the far-right Freedom Party. This comes after challenging negotiations following last fall's elections. The coalition is primarily made up of the People’s Party, which is likely to see its leader, Christian Stocker, assume the chancellorship. The Freedom Party, which earned the most votes in the September elections, has a controversial history, founded in the 1950s by former Nazi soldiers. They campaigned aggressively, promising to deport immigrants and ban political Islam. Initial discussions to include the Freedom Party in a coalition fell through, leading to a final push by mainstream parties. The new coalition, also involving the Austrian Social Democrats and the liberal NEOS party, offers a detailed 200-page governance plan mainly focused on economic management but also touching on migration, including a proposed ban on headscarves for young girls. With the Freedom Party's popularity soaring to nearly 35% in current polls, this coalition's success will be crucial to mitigating their influence in the future.
