The European Union (EU) is watching on nervously as Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz moves towards a deal with the historically anti-EU and anti-migrant party, declaring he wanted a deal signed by Christmas.
His People’s Party (OVP) stormed to victory as the most popular party in last week’s parliamentary election but still require a partner in order to form a stable government.
Mr Kurz has chosen the FPO, which was founded by a former Nazi and SS officer, as potential partners. Mr Kurz himself has a hard-line policy on immigration, an issue which dominated the Austrian election campaign.
FPO leader Heinz-Christian Strache said: “It was today a very, very good start to negotiations, a positive mutual gauging by the negotiating teams.”
Mr Kurz, 31, said: “From my point of view the atmosphere was a very, very positive one.”
Some European leaders have expressed concern at the FPO’s strong showing and President Alexander Van der Bellen, who has the power to appoint and dismiss governments, has said any coalition must be guided by “fundamental European values”.
As part of a push to make itself more acceptable to the mainstream, it has stopped calling for Austria to leave the bloc and says it is now “pro-European”.
However the FPO continues to call for the EU to hand back more powers to member states and is highly critical of a range of issues in how the union is run.
That overlaps with Kurz’s view that the EU should be slimmed down and focus on tasks like trade and securing external borders.
Mr Kurz declared after his victory last week he wanted to bring “real change” to the country.
He said: “I would like to build a government that has the courage and determination to bring real change to Austria.
“I will now get straight to work and hold the first discussions, definitely in the coming days, and possibly even today.”
Coalition talks in Austria last roughly two months on average, and Mr Kurz has said he wants a deal by Christmas.
As part of a push to make itself more acceptable to the mainstream, the FPO has stopped calling for Austria to leave the bloc and says it is now “pro-European” while saying Brussels should hand back more powers to member states.
That overlaps with Mr Kurz’s view that the EU should be slimmed down and focus on tasks like trade and securing external borders.
Mr Kurz said: “Europe is of course an issue.”