VIENNA: Austria’s conservatives led by Sebastian Kurz (pictured), on Wednesday are expected to hold final discussions with the Greens before announcing a deal to form a coalition government.
It will mark the first time the Green party has been in power, after Kurz’s alliance with the far-right collapsed in a corruption scandal and triggered elections in September.
Kurz’s People’s Party (OeVP) and the Greens made gains in election, bringing them together in unlikely negotiations given Kurz’s carefully groomed image as a hardliner on immigration.
Both leaders said on Sunday major hurdles dividing their parties had already been cleared.
An accord is widely expected to be announced after a last round of talks, which starts at 1700 local time.
Despite progress, observers said new government will face challenges after Kurz’s previous rule with the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) saw a raft of anti-immigration measures passed, sharply dividing Austrians.
Both the OeVP and the Greens will be hard-pressed to show they have not compromised too much on their key principals and campaign promises when they present the joint government programme.
“From his (Kurz’s) perspective, it’s a huge stretch and it’s also a danger that over time he might lose some of the voters he gained from the Freedom Party,” analyst Thomas Hofer said. — AFP
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