Austria’s centrist parties clinch coalition deal without the far right

Austria’s centrist parties have agreed to form a coalition government five months after elections in which the country’s leading far right party won the largest share of the national vote.

The centre-right People’s Party (ÖVP), centre-left Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the liberal Neos party will present their government programme on Thursday and take office next week, provided the agreement is signed by all three parties.

The ÖVP’s Christian Stocker is set to become chancellor, with the SPÖ’s Andreas Babler as vice chancellor.

The new government’s programme would emphasises “consensus and pragmatism”, according to local media reports.

The deal still requires the approval of Neos’ grassroots members, who will vote on the pact on Sunday.

The ÖVP and the SPÖ have governed Austria in past coalitions; however, they have the barest possible majority of seats together, with 92 out of 183. Neos has 18 seats, and has never before been part of a national government.

The agreement would keep the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) and its controversial leader Hebert Kickl out of power after a record five months of negotiations.

The FPÖ came first with 28% of the vote in Austria’s elections in September last year, but was sidelined in initial coalition negotiations headed by former Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

Those talks broke down after Neos expressed disagreement over proposed economic policy.

The FPÖ then had its chance to lead coalition talks with the ÖVP, but those negotiations also collapsed after the pair clashed over policy differences and the control of different ministries. Members of both parties blamed each other for the talks’ failure.

The ÖVP’s State Party Chairman, Karl Mahrer, specifically blamed the FPÖ’s leader Herbert Kickl, who has attracted controversy for his Eurosceptic and Russia-friendly views.

Mahrer told Austrian TV: “I thought Herbert Kickl had changed. The last weeks, days and hours have proven that he is still a safety risk.”

Kickl, meanwhile, has derided a government that keeps his party out of power a “coalition of losers” and demanded fresh elections.