AFP, VIENNAConservatives led by Austrian People’s Party Chairman Sebastian Kurz on Wednesday agreed to form an unprecedented coalition government with the Greens, capping almost three months of negotiations. The ecologists made key gains in the elections, with the environment replacing immigration as the top concern of voters. Analysts said that the new government would face challenges after Kurz’s previous rule with the far-right Freedom Party saw a raft of anti-immigration measures passed, sharply dividing Austrians. Describing a deal as a “huge stretch,” analyst Thomas Hofer said that Kurz could lose voters he gained from the Freedom Party, when the People’s Party got 37.5 percent of the vote. The Greens secured 13.9 percent of the vote, their best-ever result, due to the environment replacing immigration as top concern in the nation of 8.8 million people.

Source: Taipei Times January 02, 2020 15:56 UTC