Austria has formed a new centrist government without the far-right Freedom Party, which won an election in September. The conservative Austrian People’s Party, center-left Social Democrats, and liberal Neos agreed on a program for a coalition after weeks of negotiations.
Christian Stocker, the new People’s Party leader, is set to become chancellor. He spent his career as a local politician before entering national politics, but became an experienced crisis manager as party general secretary. The coalition deal includes strict asylum rules, mandatory integration programs, and measures to address extremism.
The parties agreed to work together despite past tensions, including the collapse of two previous attempts at forming a government without the far-right. Austria faces rising unemployment and a third year of recession, under pressure from the EU to save billions of euros.
Stocker announced that the new government will focus on removing radicalization breeding grounds and ensuring social media platforms take greater responsibility. The deal is seen as a positive step for stability in Austrian politics after the rise of the far-right party.
The coalition includes Austria’s president in an unlikely role, with Stocker becoming one of the most unexpected politicians to lead the country. The parties will need formal approval from leadership and a two-thirds majority of Neos members before the deal is finalized.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/austria-new-government-coalition-stocker-2d39904a00c33d382b1c94cb021d0c0c