"Right-wing extremists"

Warning against FPÖ: Left-wing vigil in front of ÖVP headquarters

Several initiatives are calling on the ÖVP not to form a government with the FPÖ.(Bild: AFP)

Several left-wing initiatives have started a vigil in front of the ÖVP headquarters in Vienna. The demonstrators are warning the People's Party against forming a government with the FPÖ. 

The self-proclaimed "democracy vigil" is to remain in place for the entire duration of the government negotiations.

The initiatives taking part in the vigil include betrifft.demokratie, Dema-Institut, Für Demokratie und Rechtsstaat, ja-Demokratie, Omas gegen Rechts, SOS Mitmensch and Zusammenhalt NÖ.

"Protection of democracy"
The head of the vigil is SOS Mitmensch spokesperson Alexander Pollak: "The initiatives are calling on the ÖVP to live up to its responsibility to protect democracy from radicalized political forces and not to form a government with right-wing extremists".

The "Grannies against the right" initiative is also involved (archive image)(Bild: AFP)

The democracy initiatives also warn that "right-wing extremist political forces want to promote an authoritarian system based on nationalist ideology, which is directed against liberal democracy, the independent rule of law, human rights, equal rights and the freedom of culture, science and serious journalism".

It is now crucial that the democratically-minded parties, despite all their differences, jump over their shadows and form a democratic federal government based on reason and a positive will to shape the future, the initiatives demand.