Austrian Parliament Elects Far-Right Freedom Party Member as Speaker

A historic event took place in the Austrian parliament as Walter Rosenkranz from the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) was elected as the new speaker. This marks the first time a far-right politician has held the position, making it the second most important after the president.

Rosenkranz, who previously led his party’s caucus in the parliament, was elected with 100 out of 183 votes. However, his election faced opposition from the Green Party and lawmakers from other parties due to concerns about his far-right affiliations, including membership in a far-right fraternity.

Despite the FPÖ’s strong performance in the national elections, winning 28.9% of the vote, forming a government seems unlikely as other parties, such as the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP), have refused to work with them. Talks for coalition government formation are now underway between the ÖVP and the center-left Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), aiming to form a three-way coalition with either the Greens or the liberal NEO party.

Jewish groups and others have criticized the FPÖ for its far-right connections and warned against their rise to power in Austria.