VIENNA: Austria’s conservatives and the far-right unveiled

on Saturday their programme for a coalition led by Sebastian Kurz, 31, set to be chancellor and the world’s youngest leader, reports AFP.

Both Kurz’s People’s Party (OeVP) and the Freedom Party (FPOe) campaigned on promises of getting tough on illegal immigration and cutting taxes and bureaucracy.

OeVP ministries will include finance, economy and justice. FPOe-led ministries will include interior, defence and foreign affairs, and its leader Heinz-Christian Strache will hold the position of vice-chancellor.

Meanwhile Turkey yesterday slammed the incoming Austrian government, a coalition between conservatives and the far-right, for “discrimination” after its programme contained a pledge that Vienna will not agree to Ankara joining the EU.

The landmark coalition deal, marking the return to power in Austria of the Freedom Party (FPOe), has sparked ripples of concern throughout Europe after a year of successes for far-right movements in Europe.

The chancellor-elect, Sebastian Kurz of the conservative People’s Party (OeVP), already has a deeply-fractious relationship with Ankara due to his staunch opposition to Turkey’s EU bid while serving as foreign minister.

“This baseless and short-sighted statement in the new Austrian government’s programme unfortunately confirms concerns about a political trend based on discrimination and marginalisation,” the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

Accusing the incoming government of “dishonesty”, it warned that if realised, the programme would bring Austria “to the brink of losing Turkey’s friendship” and be met with “the reaction that it deserves”.

Despite the FPOe’s historical ambivalence towards the European Union, the coalition “commits to Europe” but will act to “steer the EU back in the right direction towards its fundamental ideas”.

During its EU presidency in the second half of 2018, Austria will “take a leading role in correcting some of the erroneous developments” of the bloc, including “strengthening the idea of subsidiarity”.