Why Austria Voted for the World’s Youngest Leader

Austrians overthrew their political order Oct. 15 for a neophyte leader who’s poised to become the world’s youngest head of government. Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz from the conservative People’s Party won almost a third of the vote and is likely to strike a deal with the nationalist Freedom Party to enter power. Despite overseeing the fastest economic growth in six years, Social Democratic Chancellor Christian Kern lost support and looks destined for parliamentary opposition.

Kurz became the European Union’s first millennial foreign minister when he took the job back in 2013 at age 27. He rose through the People’s Party ranks by leading its youth wing and serving on Vienna’s city council before dropping out of university to focus on politics. As foreign minister, he railed against German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to open the door to refugees and immigrants. He favors limiting the number of asylum-seekers Austria accepts and forcing newcomers to adapt to local customs more quickly. Support for the People’s Party leaped more than 10 percentage points after he became its leader this year.