Freedom Party in Carinthia
The Freedom Party in Carinthia (German: Die Freiheitlichen in Kärnten, FPK, alternative English translations: Carinthian Freedom Party, Freedom Party of Carinthia, The Freedomites in Carinthia, or Carinthia Freedom Party) was a political party in Austria, operating in the federal state of Carinthia.
Freedom Party in Carinthia Die Freiheitlichen in Kärnten | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | FPK |
| Chairman | Gernot Darmann |
| Parliamentary leader | Christian Leyroutz |
| Founded | 1986 (as FPÖ branch) April 2005 (as BZÖ branch) December 2009 (as independent party) June 2013 (as FPÖ branch) |
| Headquarters | Klagenfurt |
| National affiliation | Freedom Party of Austria |
| Colours | blue |
| State Parliament | 9 / 36 |
| Website | |
| www | |
The FPK was founded as branch of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) by Jörg Haider in 1986. It emerged as an independent party in December 2009 from the Carinthian branch of the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ), also founded by Jörg Haider in 2005 following a split in the FPÖ. Before that In the 2009 Carinthian state election the BZÖ won 44.9% of the vote, while what remained of the FPÖ got just 3.8%. Subsequently, Gerhard Dörfler, Haider's successor, was returned as state governor. The FPK, which cooperated with the FPÖ on the national level since 2010, was finally merged into the FPÖ, becoming its state section in Carinthia.