Austrian far-right leader Mr Joerg Haider, marking his Freedom Party's first year in government today, said he hoped the centre-right coalition would last two terms but the next chancellor should be from the party.
Mr Haider has threatened several times to end the controversial coalition with chancellor Mr Wolfgang Schuessel's conservatives.
But in an interview with the Kuriernewspaper, Mr Haider said he was in favour of maintaining the partnership irrespective of the outcome of Vienna's municipal elections this year and the next general election.
Asked which party should put forward the next chancellor after the current four-year term concludes, Mr Haider said "The Freedom Party."
The party has seen its opinion poll ratings fall sharply since it was sworn in by a reluctant president Mr Thomas Klestil last year.
"Thomas Klestil probably looked so sad at the swearing-in ceremony because he couldn't swear me in too," Mr Haider quipped.
Opposition politicians and human rights activists were due to hold a large demonstration in central Vienna on Saturday, rallying Austrians to the slogan "One year's resistance against the Freedom Party" which many consider racist and xenophobic.
Reuters