The sudden surge in power enjoyed by the extreme Right in Austria has been raising global concerns, as many commentators are postulating that these political parties may soon join the Austrian government.
Israel joinedthose expressing concern on Monday with a statement from the Foreign Ministry. Ministry Spokesman Yigal Palmor told Ynet that Israel is concernedly following the Austrian elections and the rise of the extremists to power.
"We are very concerned over the rise to power of people who promote hatred of foreigners and Holocaust denial, and befriend Neo-Nazis. We see it as a disturbing development and are following the matter very closely," Palmor said.
However he also stressed that "it is still early to attempt any alteration in the diplomatic relations between the two countries. We are merely following developments with concern."
The extreme right-wing party has swept up 29% of the vote this year, a significant increase from the 15% they managed to retain in 2006. Jorg Haider, chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZO), explained that the election results indicate Austrians are no longer interested in a conservative, Social Democratic coalition.
According to reports in Austria, the coalition will no longer be able to ignore the existence of the two right-wing parties. Political analyst Anton Pelinka said prospects for stable government in the near future were "terrible."
"The strength of the far Right parties will make formation of a coalition incredibly difficult if you don't bring either into government," he told Reuters news agency. Social Democrats have ruled out an alliance with the right over its anti-foreigner stances.