Austria: Kurz as Chancellor, the new government sworn in. Tusk (EU), “I confide in a pro-European role”

(Brussels) “On behalf of the European Council, I would like to warmly congratulate you on your appointment as Federal Chancellor of Austria”. This was stated by Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, in a letter to Sebastian Kurz, newly elected Austrian Chancellor, who was sworn in in Vienna today with the new Parliament, composed of Conservative and Far Right parties. “I confide the Austrian government will keep playing a constructive, pro-European role within the European Union”, Tusk claims. “This is particularly important at a time the European Council is being more directly involved in politically-sensitive matters, as part of the leaders’ agenda”. “I can’t wait to meet you soon and cooperate strictly during the Austrian presidency of the European Union, in the second half of 2018”. Tomorrow, Kurz will be in Brussels to meet Tusk and the president of the EU Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.