VIENNA: Austria’s longest-ever wait for a new government came to an end Monday when the country’s first three-party coalition since the end of World War Two came into power, keeping the far-right, Russia-friendly Freedom Party (FPO) out of power.
Even though the FPO received roughly 29% of the vote in the September parliamentary election, a centrist alternative emerged since the eurosceptic party was unable to build a viable coalition.
The conservative People’s Party (OVP), Social Democrats (SPO), and liberal Neos formed an alliance after the FPO proposal failed, surpassing their own previous inability to reach an agreement.
Following a two-year slump, the new government intends to implement budget cuts and tax increases on large corporations.
