Austrian parties unite against far-right leader after election

Leaders of Austrian political parties united to reject the idea of forming a coalition with the head of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) Herbert Kickl after his FPO came first in a parliamentary election on Sunday.

Projections showed the FPO winning for the first time, and with its highest ever vote share. The most closely watched projection, by pollster Foresight for national broadcaster ORF, put it on 28.9% based on a count of 82.8% of ballots, with the conservative People's Party (OVP) second on 26.3%.

The FPO would need to form a coalition with one or more parties to secure a parliamentary majority and build a stable government, but when party leaders held a discussion on ORF on Sunday evening, no potential partners were forthcoming.

"I do not want you in government and I stand by that," the leader of the fourth-placed, liberal Neos, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, said, addressing Kickl directly.

"I simply believe it would not be good for our country."

Of the four parliamentary parties other than the FPO, three have long ruled out a coalition with it altogether. Only the ruling OVP has left the door open to one, though OVP leader Karl Nehammer has said his party will not join a government with Kickl in it, which he repeated after results came in.

The leader of the Social Democrats, Andreas Babler, also called for an alliance against the FPO.

Kickl said they should question their democratic credentials.

"I think there's something you haven't understood, and this goes for Karl Nehammer as well as you," he responded to the Neos' Meinl-Reisinger.

"You can continue your attacks in my direction but you're forgetting something. I stand here only as an ambassador and as an advocate for many, many voters in this country."