Kurz Given Gentle Nudge to Consider Greens in Coalition Search
- Austria’s president says ‘climate’ should be a top priority
- Kurz listed the environment in fourth place on his agenda
Van der Bellen and Sebastian Kurz on Oct. 7.
Photographer: Joe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images
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Sebastian Kurz was given a subtle nudge by Austria’s president to consider a coalition with the Greens, as the winner of last month’s election gets down to the fraught task of forming a government.
President Alexander Van der Bellen gave Kurz the official go-ahead to seek a partner in Austria’s fragmented parliament, setting up his return as chancellor. The head of state said the “climate catastrophe” will have to be at the top of the agenda, even as he noted that all parties have taken up the risks of global warming.