Politics of Austria

The Austrian chancellor spoke in Belgrade on Monday with Serbia's president and prime minister, and today he told the Austrian APA agency that his country supports Kosovo's efforts to be admitted to Interpol (which Serbia strongly opposes).

Kurz claims that his coalition partner, the Freedom Party, has changed its stance on the issue.

Austria is going through a transition, politically. On December 18, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) joined the coalition government led by young centre-right Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (of Austrian People's Party or OVP), with the far-right Heinz-Christian Strache (of FPO) as his Vice Chancellor.

The European Union adapts to political reality as this is shaped by member-states. This can be seen in the handling of the "Austrian issue" which emerged after the country's radical populist right-wing Freedom Party (FPO) became part of the country's governing coalition.

In his statement to Tanjug, Damjanovic, who is of Serbian origin and is a member of the Freedom Party (FPO) added that FPO leader Heinz-Christian Strache always had excellent relations with Serbia and a positive attitude towards the country, while the new chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, always supported Serbia.

Austria's new coalition government between conservatives and the far right has been sworn in in Vienna, reported BBC. 

The Freedom Party (FPÖ) - the junior partner - is the only far-right party to get into power in the EU.

The FPÖ and People's Party (ÖVP) plan to implement stricter rules for asylum seekers, after immigration proved a major concern for Austrian voters.

The cabinet is led by 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz, who is Austria's youngest head of government (chancellor).

The ceremony, that took place before Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, was accompanied by numerous protests in Vienna, one of which was held in front of his office.

 Austria's conservatives and right-wing populists on Friday agreed to form a coalition government nearly seven weeks after the October 15 election, Deutsche Welle reports. 

People's Party (ÖVP) leader Sebastian Kurz will become the next chancellor and Freedom Party (FPÖ) head Heinz-Christian Strache will become vice-chancellor.

 Two months after the election, 31-year-old conservative People's Party (OVP) leader Sebastian Kurz is expected to finalise coalition talks on Friday and form a new government with the hard-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) led by Heinz-Christian Strache, reported EUObserver .

Parliamentary elections in Austria last Sunday have confirmed the trend we are seeing in many parts of Europe pointing to a strengthening of the nationalist right wing.

Austrians are voting in a general election in which the frontrunner, conservative People's Party (ÖVP) leader Sebastian Kurz, is just 31.

The far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) and Social Democrats are competing for second place, opinion polls suggest.

The Social Democrats led the outgoing coalition with the ÖVP.