New Austrian chancellor, 31, becomes world’s youngest national leader
Sebastian Kurz, 31, was sworn in as Austria’s chancellor on Monday.
Kurz is the youngest political leader in Europe and in the world.
Heinz-Christian Strache, leader of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), 48, is vice-chancellor.
The Austrian People’s Party, which Kurz belongs to, reached a coalition agreement with the Freedom Party on Friday.
Both parties have promised to tighten the country’s asylum and immigration regulations and maintain a firm commitment to the European Union.
“It will no longer happen for migrants who have never worked here a single day or paid anything into the social system to get thousands of euros in welfare,” Strache wrote on Facebook.
Kurz served as foreign minister in the outgoing government led by Chancellor Christian Kern, a social democrat.
“Our aims are quite clear. We want to ease the tax burden for people, we want to strengthen our economy, which will bolster our social system,” Kurz had said on Friday after the coalition was sealed.
“And first and foremost we want to increase security in our country, including by combatting illegal immigration.”
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