Whizz-kid' leading Austria's right party

Austria is set to move to the right in the Sunday elections with conservative Sebastian Kurz expected to become Europe’s youngest head of government and form a coalition with the anti-immigration Freedom Party.

The centre-right People’s Party (OeVP), rebranded by Mr Kurz, 31, as his personal turquoise “movement”, is forecast to come first with over 30 per cent, polls suggest. 

“Wunderwuzzi” (whizz-kid) Mr Kurz took over the OeVP in May and ended its acrimonious “grand coalition” with the Social Democrats. Some are calling him Austria’s version of Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau.

Presenting himself as a breath of fresh air despite being in the government since 2011 and the OeVP having been in power nonstop since 1987, the foreign minister helped his party leapfrog the Freedom Party to lead opinion polls. 

This was partly thanks to Mr Kurz swinging to the right, talking tough on immigration and pledging to both shut Islamic kindergartens and cut welfare payments for foreigners.

“He has the most potential to change something,” said 16-year-old voter Jessica Kriftner. “Everyone my age is for him.”