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.
The conservative People's Party (OVP), Social Democrats (SPO) and liberal Neos said they would publish their joint government programme at a news conference at 11 a.m. (1000 GMT).
The three-party government, Austria's first since the late 1940s, is due to take office next week, provided all parties sign off on the deal, the chief hurdle being a vote of Neos members on Sunday, at which a two-thirds majority is required.
FPO leader Herbert Kickl has dismissed the tie-up as a "coalition of losers" and called for a snap election that opinion polls suggest would increase his party's share of the vote further from around 29% in September.
The coalition will be under pressure to deliver results including shrinking the budget deficit and avoid the kind of in-fighting that has felled 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 said, adding they would likely need to produce more than the programme to survive the five-year parliament.
The FPO often likens the centrist effort to the three-party coalition in neighbouring Germany that recently collapsed.
Austria is basking in the glow of a triumphant Eurovision Song Contest victory, but celebrations have quickly turned to practical concerns over where to host next year’s event and how to pay for it, officials said Sunday.
Austria has won the 69th Eurovision Song Contest. JJ claimed the trophy with his emotional pop-opera ballad Wasted Love, scoring 426 points in the grand final held in Basel, Switzerland.
Austria has shut down nearly two dozen border crossings with Hungary and Slovakia in a bid to contain the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, as authorities intensify checks and prepare for potential cases within the country.
The new Austrian Government has discontinued the reunification of family members for asylum claimants in the country with immediate effect citing widespread concerns on immigration.
Coalition of conservative, social democratic, and liberal parties prevents far right from governing
Indonesia has raised the alert level to the highest for Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki after it erupted eight times over the weekend, the country’s volcanology agency said.
As South Western Railway becomes the latest operator to be renationalised under Great British Railways (GBR), questions remain about whether these changes will lead to better services or lower fares.
In Malaysia, rivers are under threat from invasive fish species that have spread widely, harming native wildlife and local ecosystems.
China has openly supported Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland following renewed interest from US President Donald Trump in acquiring the autonomous Danish territory.
The US State Department has announced visa bans on owners, executives, and senior officials of India-based travel agencies accused of helping people enter the United States illegally.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on May 15, with discussions reportedly focusing on upcoming peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Istanbul.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war in Gaza will not stop until Hamas is destroyed, following the release of US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander.
Qatar signed a landmark agreement with U.S. aerospace giant Boeing on Wednesday to acquire 160 aircraft for Qatar Airways, a deal valued at $200 billion. The signing took place in Doha during the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet behind closed doors at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace at 10:00 local time today to explore security guarantees, territorial integrity and a possible ceasefire.
EU approves 17th Russia sanctions, blacklisting almost 200 shadow‑fleet ships, 30 evasion firms and 75 defence figures, banning missile chemicals and arming Brussels to strike Kremlin hybrid and operations.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed President Donald Trump's administration to move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for around 350,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S. Trump has also aimed to end TPS protections for Haitians, Afghans, and others.
The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a request from the Trump administration to lift protections under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially opening the door to future deportations while litigation continues.
Lithuania has taken legal action against Belarus at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Minsk of organizing irregular migrant crossings and violating international obligations.
Indonesia has raised the alert level to the highest for Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki after it erupted eight times over the weekend, the country’s volcanology agency said.
As South Western Railway becomes the latest operator to be renationalised under Great British Railways (GBR), questions remain about whether these changes will lead to better services or lower fares.
Indonesia has raised the alert level to the highest for Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki after it erupted eight times over the weekend, the country’s volcanology agency said.
As South Western Railway becomes the latest operator to be renationalised under Great British Railways (GBR), questions remain about whether these changes will lead to better services or lower fares.
In Malaysia, rivers are under threat from invasive fish species that have spread widely, harming native wildlife and local ecosystems.
China has openly supported Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland following renewed interest from US President Donald Trump in acquiring the autonomous Danish territory.
The US State Department has announced visa bans on owners, executives, and senior officials of India-based travel agencies accused of helping people enter the United States illegally.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment