A coalition of three centrist parties was sworn into government in Austria on Monday, marking the end of a five-month period of political uncertainty. This move comes as part of efforts by mainstream parties to exclude the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), which came out on top in the September elections, from having a role in government. The new government consists of the conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), and the liberal NEOS. The NEOS party, the smallest partner in the alliance, gave its final approval to the coalition on Sunday, providing the alliance with a majority in parliament. ÖVP leader Christian Stocker is set to become chancellor, with SPÖ’s Andreas Babler as his deputy. The new government faces challenges in boosting the economy, reducing the budget deficit, and implementing stricter migration policies. A previous attempt to form an alliance in January failed, which led to negotiations involving the FPÖ. However, the FPÖ was unable to find partners willing to join them in government. The coalition sworn in today is seen as an alternative to a snap election, which opinion polls suggested could have seen the FPÖ gaining more votes. Far-right populist parties are experiencing a resurgence across Europe and are currently in government in several countries including Italy, Finland, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, and the Czech Republic.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/austria-swears-in-centrist-coalition-without-far-right/a-71808326?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf