The conservative OVP (Austrian People’s Party), led by former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, won the most seats in this past Sunday’s legislative election. While falling short of a majority, the task falls to Kurz to form a government with one or more of the smaller parties.
One of those parties, the FPO (Freedom Party), was the OVP’s coalition partners in his previous government. A scandal involving the party’s leadership in which some of them were recorded discussing deceptive practices and malintents led to its dissolution. The FPO, a right wing populist to far-right party, could conceivably become a partner again, with the center- left SPO (Social Democratic Party) and Greens and the centrist NEOS parties also possible participants.
