Austrian President Urges Kurz to Commit to EU, Human Rights
- Revamped conservative set to become youngest government chief
- Election lifted anti-immigration Freedom Party to kingmaker
Sebastian Kurz
Photographer: Jasper Juinen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Austria’s president called on Sebastian Kurz, the 31-year-old likely to be the country’s next leader, to form a government committed to the European Union and human rights as he considers the nationalist Freedom Party as a potential partner.
As President Alexander Van der Bellen mandated Kurz and his People’s Party to begin coalition talks, his comments hinted at the impact of Sunday’s election that shifted Austria to the right and paved the way for the Freedom Party to return to power on an anti-Islam, anti-immigration platform. Kurz is poised to become the world’s youngest head of government.