During the election, both parties promised to halt illegal immigration, cut taxes and introduce institutional reforms.
The People’s Party, led by Sebastian Kurz [pictured], who will now become the world’s youngest head of government, won the most votes in the election on 15 October this year.
The far-right Freedom Party will be in control of several ministries, including defence, interior and foreign ministries, while party leader Heinz-Christian Strache will become vice-chancellor.
Hartwig Loeger, member of the People’s Party, will become the finance minister. He has no university degree, but has over 30 years of experience in the insurance sector. He is the only ministerial appointee who has not held public office before.
The new government has pledged to support the EU but will toughen laws on immigration and asylum seekers.
The Freedom Party took 26% of the vote in October, but was beaten into third place by the centre-left Social Democrats, which led the former coalition with the People’s Party. This coalition collapsed leading to the snap election.
Austria’s economy is one of the strongest in Europe and the government plans to build on the country’s role as a bridge between Western and Eastern Europe.
