In a surprise move, the conservative People's Party leader announced a deal with the leftist Green Party to form a coalition government more than three months after both factions won big in September's snap parliamentary elections. Kurz, 33, will be among the world's youngest leaders as he resumes the Austrian chancellorship for a second term.
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Sebastian Kurz, leader of the Austrian People's Party, will resume the chancellorship after ironing out a deal on New Year's Day with Werner Kogler of the Greens, bringing the party into national government for the first time.
Speaking at an event outlining the details of the agreement Thursday, Kurz said it was "the best of both worlds" and allowed both parties to keep their campaign pledges, Reuters reported.
For the conservatives, those pledges included a continuation of their hard-line immigration stance and fight against "political Islam," along with lower taxes, while the Greens had promised to usher in environmental measures and greater government transparency.
The deal must still be approved by the Greens' decision-making body, the Federal Council, on Saturday, according to Reuters. And while it is expected to pass, the immigration and security measures proposed by Kurz's conservatives are likely to be an uncomfortable compromise for the Greens. They are the junior partner in the pact.
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