Summary
Austria’s new government, a centrist coalition of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), and the liberal NEOS, was sworn in on Monday.
This move keeps the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), which won September’s election, out of power after it failed to secure coalition partners.
The new government, led by Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) and Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler (SPÖ), aims to tackle economic challenges and stricter migration policies.
Great news. However, am I the only one annoyed by the phrase “winning an election”, used three times in the article? I note that the author is from the UK and that phrase does make sense in their system. However, in most of Europe is it not weird or even uncommon that the party that gets the most votes and seats de facto lose the election and end up in opposition; as it’s all about getting more than 50% of the parliament. Getting the most votes and seats is nothing more than nice statistics, if you can’t get more than 50% behind you.
A more accurate text had been “FPÖ, despite getting the most seats in the parliament, are in the end in fact losers”
Good point, and a great example of how assumptions about use of language can easily shape thoughts and opinions
