Austrians Lean Toward Nationalist Government Led by a Millennial
- Sebastian Kurz, 31, may become the world’s youngest leader
- The best economy in six years hasn’t lifted Social Democrats
Sebastian Kurz, Austria's foreign minister and leader of the People's Party (OeVP), greets supporters as he arrives during his final campaign event in Vienna on Oct. 13.
Photographer: Lisi Niesner/BloombergAustrians profiting from the fastest economic growth in six years look likely to ditch their current coalition in favor of a new government backed by anti-immigration nationalists and headed by the world’s youngest leader.
Polls suggest that Austria’s 31-year-old Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz will lead his conservative People’s Party to victory in Sunday’s election. That could set the stage for a coalition with Heinz-Christian Strache’s populist Freedom Party, unwinding a decade of Social Democratic-led administrations that revived the economy but struggled with issues over immigration and welfare.