Austrian president warns on civil rights after nationalists gain

Bloomberg

Austria’s president called on Sebastian Kurz, the 31-year-old likely to be the country’s next leader, to form a government committed to the European Union
and human rights as he considers the nationalist Freedom Party as a potential partner.
As President Alexander Van der Bellen mandated Kurz and his People’s Party to begin coalition talks, his comments hinted at the impact of Sunday’s election that shifted Austria to the right and paved the way for the Freedom Party to return to power on an anti-Islam, anti-immigration platform.
Kurz is poised to become the world’s youngest head of government.“The government’s goal should be that Austria is a country in which mutual respect and the human and civil rights that are anchored in our constitution and the European Human Rights Convention are the compass for our actions,” Van der Bellen, who defeated a Freedom Party candidate in a presidential run-off last year, said.
He said he expects “a clear commitment to Europe” and an “understanding that Austria plays an active role for building a future common Europe.”
In Austria, the chancellor and ministers are
appointed to their executive posts by the president, not elected by the parliament, which can only vote to remove them.