Good news from Austria: The Right coalesces to take power

Christian Stocker, the new leader of the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), said today his party is prepared to negotiate with the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) to agree on a pathway to forming a coalition government.

As reported on WWW, the FPÖ won the most seats in Austria's parliamentary election last September. The ÖVP subsequently tried to keep them out of power by cobbling together a coalition of centrist parties with the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), and the liberal NEOS. They failed.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer, leader of the ÖVP, maintained his opposition to governing with the FPÖ, and was duly ousted by more practical members of his own party, who preferred collaboration with the rightists to a continuing stalemate. The only alternative was a new election, which could only have been held around the end of December. Moreover, polling indicated that the FPÖ would win another election even more convincingly.

Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen said this afternoon that he had the impression that, with Herr Nehammer out of the picture, the voices within the ÖVP rejecting collaboration with the FPÖ had become significantly quieter. He will therefore start talks tomorrow with FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl  about forming a new government. 

Walt's comment: This is a real Kickl in the ass to the lefties and Euro-wienies. Happy New Year too the people of Austria!