Austria conservatives, far-right reach coalition agreement
Austria's conservatives and the far-right have agreed to form a coalition government with anti-immigration policies and restrictive plans against the EU role on top of its agenda.
Sebastian Kurz's People's Party (OeVP) and the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPOe) announced the coalition agreement late Friday, making Austria the only Western European government with a far-right party in its government.
"We are happy that we have reached this agreement. Tomorrow (Saturday) we will inform the president about our programme and our team," Kurz told reporters in Vienna.
"Voters gave us a clear mandate to take into account their concerns, particularly when it comes to their security," FPOe chief Heinz-Christian Strache told the same news conference.
Kurz is currently the foreign minister of the outgoing government of "grand coalition" between OeVP and the center-left Social Democrats (SPOe).
The OeVP came first in the October 15 elections with 31.5 percent, making Kurz, 31, the next Austrian chancellor and also the world's youngest leader.
The key campaign promises of both the OeVP and the FPOe were cutting benefits for all foreigners, slashing bureaucracy and restricting the EU's influence on national affairs.
The last time the FPOe entered government in 2000, Austria was briefly ostracized within the EU.
Strache, 48, is set to become deputy chancellor. His party has also secured the interior and the defense ministries while a diplomat close to the FPOe is set to become foreign minister.
Observers have expressed concern over the FPOe's future control over all Austrian intelligence services as the party is notorious for its extremely restrictive refugee policy.
Several different groups, including the anti-fascist "Offensive Against the Right", plan to stage protests in Vienna on Monday.
Despite the FPOe's anti-EU stance, Kurz said on Thursday that the "pro-European" position of the incoming government "has been secured."
The two parties have reportedly agreed on cutting tax and other salary charges and loosening labor laws.
The coalition is expected to announce its plans Saturday and the government will be sworn in next week.
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