The far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) won Austria’s legislative election on 29 September, securing approximately 29% of the vote. However, the party’s hardline anti-human rights agenda, its plans to implement policies reminiscent of Viktor Orbán‘s in Hungary, and its alliance with Russia raised concerns about its participation in a coalition government, potentially jeopardising the rule of law in Austria and the country’s international commitments.
In the 183-seat National Council (Parliament), 92 seats are required to achieve a majority. Thus, forming a coalition among the democratic parties is essential. In October, Austria’s President, Alexander Van der Bellen, tasked Chancellor Karl Nehammer, the conservative People’s Party’s (ÖVP) leader, with forming a new government. Discussions occur between the conservative party and the Social Democrats (SPÖ). However, they hold only 92 seats (51 for the Conservatives and 41 for the Social Democrats), indicating that a third partner is necessary to secure a more stable majority.
Recently, the liberal party NEOS announced its decision to join the coalition talks, according to Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The far-right FPÖ has won a parliamentary election for the first time since its founding in the 1950s, during which its first leader was an SS officer and a Nazi lawmaker. Given the party’s agenda, no other political party was willing to partner with it.
“We have agreed that we will continue the talks with the Neos’ sounding-out team tomorrow,” Chancellor Nehammer told a joint news conference with SPÖ leader Andreas Babler.
Suppose the parties that finished second, third, and fourth in the recent elections form a large majority government. In that case, they will likely establish a “cordon sanitaire” around FPÖ, a founding member of the Patriots for Europe. Since Austria gained independence in 1955, it has not had a three-party coalition, and many are concerned about the implications of the recent collapse of a similar alliance in neighbouring Germany.
The Neos, like Chancellor Nehammer, has promised to cut taxes and oppose the Social Democrats’ key proposal to introduce wealth and inheritance taxes. Nehammer explained that the Neos should first undergo an exploratory phase similar to the one ongoing with the Social Democrats. He also reiterated that coalition negotiations are expected to be lengthy and “rocky,” as the parties will need to overcome significant ideological differences.
