Austrian Centrist Parties Reach Deal to Form Government without Far Right
Austria's three top centrist parties in parliament have reached a deal to form a coalition government without the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) and plan to present it later on Thursday, five months after the FPO won the last parliamentary election. The deal should bring to a close the longest wait for a new government in Austria since World War Two. A first attempt to form a ruling coalition with the same three parties collapsed in January, after which the eurosceptic, Russia-friendly FPO was tasked with forming a government but also failed to.
- This agreement highlights the complexities of Austrian politics, where the traditional two-party system has given way to a more multipartisan landscape, and centrist parties must navigate these dynamics to achieve power.
- What implications will this coalition's focus on fiscal responsibility and avoidance of infighting have for the EU's stance on economic policy and regional governance in the coming years?