Source: US News & World Report
“Austria’s centrist coalition government, the first three-party alliance since the aftermath of World War Two, took office on Monday, ending Austria’s longest-ever wait for a new government and keeping the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) in opposition. Although the FPO won September’s parliamentary election with about 29% of the vote, it failed to form a coalition government. When the FPO last month gave up trying to agree a government, the conservative People’s Party (OVP), Social Democrats (SPO) and liberal Neos revived a bid to form an alliance after abandoning an earlier effort in January. Had their latest effort failed, there would have been few alternatives to a snap election, which polls suggested would have increased the eurosceptic, Russia-friendly FPO’s share of the vote.” (03/03/25)