The conservative People’s Party, Social Democrats and liberal Neos present a “common program” after the transaction.
Three Austrian political parties have announced that five months after the FPO won the parliamentary elections in September, they have reached a contract to form a coalition government that excludes the far-right Liberal Party (FPO).
The conservative People’s Party (OVP), Social Democrats (SPO) and liberal Neos announced they would announce the coalition at a press conference later Thursday.
OVP leader Christian Tocker said a “common program” was agreed to with the Social Democrats and liberal coalition partners. Stocker is expected to become the new prime minister.
The announcement of the deal should end the longest waiting period in Austria for a new government since World War II.
The first attempt to form a dominant coalition with the same three political parties collapsed in January and was forced to announce Prime Minister Karl Nehammer’s resignation.
The euroskeptical and Russian-friendly FPO was tasked with forming a new government, but its bids also failed.
Austria’s first three party government since the late 1940s is set to take office next week, subject to all political parties being registered in the contract.
FPO leader Herbert Kickle has rejected the alliance as a “coalition of losers” and is calling for a snap election that suggests that opinions will further increase vote sharing from around 29% in September.
FPOs often compare centristic efforts to a recently collapsed German tripartite coalition.
The coalition is under pressure to provide results, such as reducing the budget deficit and avoiding the kind of internal conflict that overthrew previous governments.
“The first message this government has is, “We prevented Herbert Kickle, not Herbert Kickle,” said political analyst Thomas Hofer.
“It’s something, but it’s not a positive story,” he said.
