Theresa May has invited Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, the leader of the nation’s new Conservative-Populist coalition government to “visit the UK in the near future”.
According to a Downing Street spokesman, Mr. Kurz, who is also chairman of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), has accepted the invitation.
The prime minister and chancellor had “a positive phone call” this Tuesday, the spokesman said in a statement, in which Mrs. May “gave a brief update on Brexit and confirmed that the government will respect the decision taken by the British public to leave the EU”.
According to the spokesman: “Chancellor Kurz updated on his recent European engagement, and they both agreed to stay in touch on Brexit and Austria’s forthcoming European Council Presidency.”
Austria will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) from Bulgaria in the second half of 2018.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Angela Merkel Wednesday, he told the German chancellor that strengthening the bloc’s border was the best way to solve the migrant crisis.
“I am convinced that the solution to the migration issue lies in proper external border management and greater local assistance,” he said, according to Die Welt.
Mr. Kurz became the Austrian premiere in December 2017, with his party going into coalition with the anti-mass migration, populist Freedom Party (FPÖ), which has promised to ban radical Islam.
The right-wing government has angered many establishment globalists, including the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, who claimed their policies are “dangerous”.
During last year’s election campaign, Mr. Kurz promised to protect European “Christian culture” and control mass migration, and both the FPÖ and ÖVP called for tax cuts for low earners and companies.
Mr. Kurz has consistently opposed the European Union’s (EU) migration policies and said that he “understands” why U.S. President Donald J. Trump wants to build a southern border wall.
Since taking office, his government has taken a hard line on immigration, and in November last year the coalition partners agreed to slash benefits for migrants and introduce five-year residency rules to curb welfare for EU nationals.
The Austrian chancellor met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris last week and met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday in Berlin.
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