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| Protests in Vienna as ministers from far-right enter Austria's government | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Austria’s president has sworn in a new government amid protests against the far right’s prominent role in the cabinet. | |
| At the weekend, the new chancellor, Sebastian Kurz of the Austrian People’s party (ÖVP), struck a deal with the Freedom party, a nationalist outfit founded after the second world war by former members of the Nazi party, now headed by Heinz-Christian Strache. | |
| The coalition deal makes Austria the only western European country with a far-right presence in government. At 31, Kurz is the youngest head of government in Europe. | |
| Kurz’s People’s party won 32% of the vote in October’s elections, securing 62 seats in the 183-seat national council. The Freedom party came third with 26% of the vote and 51 seats. | Kurz’s People’s party won 32% of the vote in October’s elections, securing 62 seats in the 183-seat national council. The Freedom party came third with 26% of the vote and 51 seats. |
| Police estimated that about 5,000 protesters would march in Vienna on Monday - a far lower number than the tens of thousands who turned out last time the Freedom party entered government, in 2000. | |
| A heavy police presence of about 1,500 officers, helicopters and water cannon trucks blocked off the area around Hofburg Palace in the run-up to the ceremony. | |
| As marches by leftwing and anti-fascist groups converged at the central Heldenplatz Square, people brandished placards that read “Refugees welcome”, “Nazis out” and “No Nazi pigs”. | |
| Police fired a smoke grenade when some protesters tried to break through a barricade, an Agence France-Presse photographer said. | |
| The coalition treaty the two parties agreed vows to restrict illegal immigration and speed up deportation of refused asylum seekers, but also emphasises the state’s commitment to the European Union. | The coalition treaty the two parties agreed vows to restrict illegal immigration and speed up deportation of refused asylum seekers, but also emphasises the state’s commitment to the European Union. |
| “This is a coalition of two parties who want to actively shape Europe,” Kurz said at a joint interview with Austrian TV over the weekend. | “This is a coalition of two parties who want to actively shape Europe,” Kurz said at a joint interview with Austrian TV over the weekend. |
| A referendum on Austria leaving the European Union, previously suggested by the Freedom party, is explicitly ruled out. | A referendum on Austria leaving the European Union, previously suggested by the Freedom party, is explicitly ruled out. |
| Core competences on European affairs have been assigned to Kurz’s chancellory, and the foreign ministry post has been filled with an independent Middle East expert, Karin Kneissl. | Core competences on European affairs have been assigned to Kurz’s chancellory, and the foreign ministry post has been filled with an independent Middle East expert, Karin Kneissl. |
| The Freedom party will nonetheless control key posts in the new government, including the interior and defence ministry. Norbert Hofer, narrowly beaten by Green-backed Alexander Van der Bellen in the Austrian presidential elections in December 2016, will be in charge of infrastructure. | |
| The last time the Freedom party entered a coalition government, under Jörg Haider’s leadership in 2000 to 2005, the move was met with sanctions and outrage from Israel and across the EU. | |
| Agence France-Presse contributed to this report | |
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