Austria to be the only western European country with a far-right party in power

Austria is set to become the only western European country with a far-right party in government.Future chancellor Sebastian Kurzs People's Partystruck a coalition deal with the anti-immigration Freedom Party to share power almost equally.The controversial Freedom party was founded by former Nazis and campaigned against Austria joining the European Union in 1994.VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria is set to become the only western European country with a far-right party in government after the anti-immigration Freedom Party and Sebastian Kurzs conservatives struck a coalition deal to share power almost equally.In an early policy pronouncement, Kurz, the future chancellor, said the new government would not hold a referendum on European Union membership.Kurz, who is just 31, and Freedom Party (FPO) leader Heinz-Christian Strache announced their deal on Friday night, handing the far right a share of power for the third time in the Alpine republic, after more than a decade in opposition.The FPO will take control of much of Austrias security apparatus, in charge of the foreign, interior and defense ministries. The Peoples Party (OVP) led by Kurz will control the powerful finance ministry as well the justice and agriculture portfolios.No one need be afraid, Austrian news agency APA quoted the incoming interior minister and chairman of the FPO, Herbert Kickl, as saying. Kickl began his career as a speechwriter for the late Joerg Haider, who praised Adolf Hitlers employment policies and led the party to its first mainstream electoral success.Kurz will head the government as chancellor and the OVP will have eight ministries including his office. The FPO will have six, including Straches office as vice chancellor.Kurz has repeatedly said his government will be pro-European despite including the FPO, which was founded by former Nazis and campaigned against Austria joining the bloc when it was put to a referendum in 1994.The coalition plans to make referendums more widely available. Unlike Frances National Front, the FPO has backed away from calling for a referendum on leaving the European Union but Kurz obtained a guarantee that a Brexit-style vote will not be held.There will be no votes on our membership of international organizations, including the European Union, Kurz told a joint news conference with Strache.Kurzs office will also take over some European departments from the FPO-run foreign ministry to give him greater control over EU matters.The 180-page coalition agreement listed plans such as sinking taxes and cutting public spending through streamlined administration though it often did not say how such goals would be achieved.Austrias parliamentary election two months ago was dominated by Europes migration crisis, in which the affluent country took in a large number of asylum seekers.Kurzs party won with a hard line on immigration that often overlapped with the FPO's, pledging to cut benefits for refugees and never to allow a repeat of 2015s wave of arrivals. The FPO came third in the election with 26 percent of the vote.Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: Here's why Boeing 747s have a giant hump in the front
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