New Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has formed a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party | Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images Open letter urges boycott of far right in Austrian Cabinet A group including former French and Spanish foreign ministers calls for action against ‘the fatal ideology of hatred.’

A group including former European foreign ministers is calling for a boycott of Austria's new, far-right Cabinet members, referring to them as the "heirs of Nazism" and criticizing "silence and apathy" on the issue.

In an open letter published in French newspaper Le Monde on Thursday, former Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos, former French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell and others urged European leaders to take action.

"Let’s not turn our eyes away: The heirs of Nazism have come into power in the new Austrian government," the letter states. "We are all concerned as we are all being threatened by the fatal ideology of hatred."

The letter comes in response to newly sworn-in Chancellor Sebastian Kurz forming a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) after October's election, making Austria the only Western European nation with a government that includes an anti-immigrant, populist force. The FPÖ nominated six Cabinet members, including the leaders of the defense and interior ministries.

The letter's authors called on national leaders to refuse to attend meetings with or receive FPÖ ministers, and also urged politicians to "boycott" Austria's control of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union next year between July and December.

Other signatories on the letter include Nobel Peace Prize winner and former president of East Timor, José Ramos-Horta, as well as Serge and Beate Klarsfeld, who are known for their investigation into and prosecution of Nazi crimes.

FPÖ General Secretary Harald Vilimsky criticized the letter in a statement Friday, calling it an "obvious maneuver" and a "last-ditch effort by the united left" to try to hurt the new Austrian government.