The New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS)
EU RANK: 11 (Tier 1: Top Performance)
NEOS is a liberal, pro‑European, centrist party formed in the 2010s and positioned as a modern reform force in Austrian politics. In the 2024 National Council election it won 9.1% of the vote and 18 seats, consolidating a modest but stable parliamentary presence. After 2024 it entered government for the first time as a junior coalition partner alongside the ÖVP and SPÖ, securing several key ministries and presenting itself as a liberal counterweight inside the coalition.
Disinformation and alternative media
NEOS does not maintain a dedicated partisan media ecosystem beyond its official website, social media channels and standard campaign communication. Its messaging emphasises transparency, rule of law, EU integration and civil liberties and is typically carried by mainstream outlets rather than fringe platforms. The available evidence does not associate NEOS with the use of conspiracy‑oriented or highly polarised alternative media comparable to those aligned with the far right.
The party has been vocal about the dangers of online disinformation and the need for both platform regulation and media‑literacy measures, reflecting its self‑image as a defender of liberal democracy in the digital sphere. In terms of DMI, NEOS is at the low end of risk for disinformation‑driven campaigning, even if individual supporters may participate in polarised debates online.
Foreign influence and external alignments
NEOS is firmly pro‑EU and supports deeper European integration, liberal democracy and rule‑of‑law mechanisms within the Union. Its foreign‑policy positions align with mainstream Western commitments, including support for sanctions against authoritarian regimes where appropriate, and it stresses the importance of EU‑level responses to disinformation and hybrid threats.
There is no evidence that NEOS maintains special relationships with foreign governments or state‑aligned media structures that would raise particular DMI concerns. Instead, its discourse tends to echo liberal European think‑tank and institutional perspectives on protecting democracy from external interference.
Media capture, advertising and public service media
As a relatively small party with limited time in government, NEOS does not control major state‑owned enterprises or large public advertising budgets and therefore has had fewer opportunities to shape the media market through clientelistic practices. Its policy proposals emphasise transparency in party finance and media funding, and it has advocated clearer rules for state advertising and support for independent journalism.
Within the current coalition, NEOS positions itself as an advocate of reforms that would curtail opaque advertising deals and strengthen safeguards for ORF’s independence. Its structural capacity for media capture is therefore low, and its declared preferences point in the opposite direction, though any future growth in governmental power would need to be monitored against these commitments.
Corruption, litigation and institutional integrity
NEOS has not been implicated in the major corruption and litigation cases that have dominated Austrian politics between 2015 and 2025. Party‑finance analyses describe NEOS as having relatively transparent donor records, with a comparatively high share of income from private donations and strong compliance with disclosure obligations.
While reliance on private funding can, in theory, create incentives for donor‑driven politics, transparency and the relatively modest scale of NEOS’s operations distinguish it from the large‑scale abuses investigated in other parties. On current evidence, its integrity risk profile is low, though continued scrutiny of donor influence remains appropriate in a liberal party that explicitly welcomes private contributions.
Press freedom, harassment and treatment of critical media
NEOS presents itself as a defender of press freedom and frequently criticises attempts by other parties to influence or intimidate independent media. It supports robust public service media, pluralistic private outlets and stronger legal frameworks against SLAPPs and other forms of pressure on journalists.
There are no reports of systematic harassment of journalists or exclusion of critical media associated with NEOS, and its leaders tend to use a relatively moderate tone towards the press, even when complaining about coverage. Within the DMI framework, NEOS appears as an ally of independent media rather than a source of pressure.