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VIENNA — Thousands marched through central Vienna on Thursday evening to urge the country’s political parties not to join a coalition with the far-right FPÖ.
The protest, which started at the University of Vienna and ended in front of the parliament building, was attended by around 25,000 people, according to event organizers.
The aim was to urge all Austrian parties — particularly the center-right People’s Party (ÖVP) — not to enter into a coalition with the FPÖ.
The FPÖ emerged victorious with 29% of the vote for the first time in its history following national elections on Sunday. The largely eurosceptic and Kremlin-friendly party campaigned on an anti-immigration platform, promising voters measures to boost Austria’s economy.
Without a full majority, the party would need to form a coalition government in order to lead the country — which would mark the first time Austria has been ruled by the far right since World War II.
Austria’s other parties, including the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), the Green party and the liberal political party NEOS have ruled out entering a coalition with the FPÖ with the previously ruling OVP, who scored 26% of the vote, a kingmaker.
The OVP has opened the door to collaborating with the FPÖ on the condition that its leader, Hebert Kickl, is not part of the government.
Kickl, who has insisted he would be part of a future government, has solidified his position as a controversial figure in Austrian politics, referring to himself as the “Volkskanzler” or “chancellor for the people” — a Nazi propaganda term used to describe Adolf Hitler.
Protesters at the demonstration held signs saying “it’s Thursday again” alluding to a series of demonstrations that broke out in the country’s capital on Thursdays in 2000 against the OVP entering into a coalition with the FPÖ.
The far-right party has already been part of Austria’s government twice, as a junior partner in a coalition.
This time, FPÖ has the opportunity to lead a potential coalition with President Alexander Van der Bellen opening talks with the leaders of all parties, starting with Kickl, on Friday.
In discussions that are expected to be protracted, the president traditionally invites the leader of the majority-winning party to form a government although is under no constitutional obligation to do so.
Van der Bellen previously said he would not automatically give the task of forming the new government to the FPÖ leader, although what an alternative coalition would look like is currently unclear. — Euronews
