Austrian Far-Right Enters Gov’t

Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) was in triumphant mood Saturday after agreeing a coalition deal with the conservatives, capping a year of successes for Europe’s nationalist movements. As the parties met to rubber-stamp the accord struck the previous day, Herbert Kickl, the FPOe’s secretary general and Austria’s next interior minister, said he had “very, very good feeling”, AFP reported. “Nobody has anything to fear,” Kickl said, one of six FPOe ministers in the new government including defense and foreign affairs. Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache, 48, will be vice-chancellor. The agreement reached by Sebastian Kurz’s People’s Party (OeVP) and the FPOe sets Kurz, 31, up to become chancellor and also the world’s youngest leader.