VIENNA, Jan 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Austria’s conservatives led by Sebastian
Kurz agreed to form an unprecedented coalition government with
the Greens, capping almost three months of negotiations.
“We have succeeded to unite the best of both worlds… It is possible to
protect the climate and borders,” said Kurz, whose People’s Party (OeVP)
again gained the most votes in snap elections in September.
The polls were triggered after a corruption scandal engulfed Kurz’s far-
right ally far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) after just 18 months in government together, during which the 33-year-old had carefully cultivated his image as a hardliner on immigration.
Greens leader Werner Kogler said the two disparate parties had managed to
“build bridges” to form a government for “the future of Austria”.
It will mark the first time the Green party has been in power. The
ecologists made key gains in the September polls with the environment
replacing immigration as the top voter concern.
Kogler said the Alpine country — which has been among just a handful of EU nations that have seen their greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase between 1990 and 2017 — would aim to become a frontrunner in terms of fighting climate change in Europe.
The two leaders indicated they would reform the tax system to lower the
burden on Austrians — a key OeVP promise — but at the same time introduce higher eco taxes in line with the Greens’ campaign.
Kogler said transparency, including freedom of information, and fighting
poverty among children, the elderly and women would also be a priority.
The Greens secured 13.9 percent of the vote, their best-ever result, due
to the environment replacing immigration as top concern in the country of 8.8 million people.
The 58-year-old took on the leadership after the party lost all their
parliamentary seats in a shock defeat in 2017, largely due to infighting and
splits.
A congress of the party’s almost 280 delegates must still endorse the
coalition agreement, but they are expected to do so.
As junior coalition partner, the Greens are expected to get four
ministries, including an enlarged environment ministry that also comprises
infrastructure, traffic, energy and technology, according to a party
representative familiar with the negotiations.
The OeVP will maintain control of the rest, including the coveted interior
ministry — previously headed by a far-right official and embroiled in
scandal — and the finance portfolio.
The FPOe — previously riding a wave of populist sentiment seen across Europe — was routed in the polls after the so-called “Ibiza-gate” graft scandal brought down their then-leader and vice-chancellor in May and caused the government to collapse. — NNN-AGENCIES
