Austria Forms Centrist Coalition Government Excluding Far-Right Party

The deal ends a record-breaking post-election deadlock, sidelining the far-right Freedom Party despite its election victory.

Austria's conservative People's Party, Social Democrats, and liberal Neos have formed a coalition government, marking the first three-party coalition since 1949.
The agreement excludes the far-right Freedom Party, which won the most votes in the September election but failed to form a government.
Key policies include stricter asylum rules, a potential headscarf ban for girls under 14, and measures targeting radicalization and extremism.
The coalition aims to address Austria's economic challenges, including a rising budget deficit, with plans for tax reforms, pension adjustments, and increased levies on banks.
Christian Stocker of the People's Party is expected to become chancellor, with the coalition emphasizing EU cooperation and rejecting far-right euroskeptic policies.