Governing together with the conservative People’s Party, the move makes Austria the only country in Western Europe to have an anti-immigration party in power.
The Freedom Party has secured the key posts of foreign, interior and defence in Austria’s new coalition government for its nominees.
On Saturday Austria’s president approved the new coalition, two months after inconclusive elections. In the general election in October in Austria, no party won an outright majority, although the Freedom Party was the most popular choice amongst young voters.
The coalition of Austria’s conservative parties has sent tremors through Brussels with Jean-Claude Juncker urging to Sebastian Kurz to form a “pro-European” government.
People’s Party leader Kurz, 31, Austria’s new chancellor, is the world’s youngest head of government.
In a 180-page document the new government set out its agenda, in which the two parties had agreed “on a clear pro-European outlook” according to Kurz. “This can be the basis for real change in Austria,” Kurz told reporters.
Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache will be appointed as vice-chancellor and his party colleagues will run the interior, defence and health and social security ministries.
The new Foreign Minister is writer Karin Kneissl, who is not a Freedom Party member but was nominated by the party. At 52, she is a Middle East expert, speaks eight languages and is not afraid of controversy, the Austrian media reported.
The Interior minister will be Herbert Kickl, the Freedom Party’s general secretary and campaign director, 49, and speechwriter for the late party leader Jörg Haider.
Kurz’s People Party won 32 percent of the vote, securing the largest number of seats – 62 – in the 183-seat national council with the Freedom Party finishing third with 26 percent of the vote and 51 seats.
Austria’s president had requested that the posts of justice minister and interior minister not be held by the same party.