Austrian Election 1st Winner, Kurz to Eurofora: I met the Norway Prime Minister too in Brussels !...

 

 
*Brussels/EPP Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- The Symbolic but Timely Fact that he's just met with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, revealed the Number 1 Winner of the Austrian Elections, and likely New Chancellor, Leader of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Party, Sebastian Kurz, replying to an "Eurofora" Question at the Conclusion of the traditional EPP National Political and State Leaders' Summit, organized in preparation of the subsequent EU Heads of State/Government Summit, later this Evening, at another side of Brussels.

Norway's Solberg heads a Twice succesfull Government of Unity of the Right, bringing Together her "Conservative" party with the Rightists of "Progress" party, supported by the smaller "Liberals" and "Christians" parties.

Her Example has been, since, mutatis-mutandis, followed, in substance, also at various SImilar Political Landscapes throughout Europe, f.ex. in Denmark, Finland, Bulgaria, etc.  Denmark is due to become President-in-office of CoE's PanEuropean Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law on November 15, in Strasbourg, for the period of 11/2017-5/2018, while Finland already Chairs the OSCE for the whole Year of 2017, and Bulgaria will Chair the EU from January 2018, until the end of June 2018.

Kurz, who has just Won a big 1st place in the Austrian Elections, during the Last Week-End, with his ChristianDemocrat/EPP Party getting 31,5% of the Votes and 62 MPs (+15 More than before), could easily reach an Absolute Majority in the Parliament, Together with the 2nd Winner : the Rightists of the "Freedom" Party (FPO), who got More than 26 % of the Votes ad 51 MPs (+11 More than before). The Socialists (who Previously held the Chancellorship) practically Stagnated, keeping around 26% too and 52 MPs , with the smaller parties of Center-Right Liberals of "NEOS" staying also at 5,3% (and 10 MPs), while a New Ecology Party of Pilz won +4,4% of the Votes and 8 new MPs, the "Greens"' Party of MEP Lunacek (a LBGTI Heavy-Weight) having been DownVoted by the Austrian People, Vanishing from the Parliament, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/austrianelectionresults.html ).

- The probable New Chancellor of Austria, (who is expected to be given Tomorrow, Friday, by the President of the Country, Alexander von der Bellen, an official Mandate to try the 1st to Form a New Government), was Positively Surprized by - and Naturaly Welcomed - "Eurofora"s mention of the Fact that, Recently, just Before the September 2017 German Elections, Chancellor Angie Merkel, had reportedly Declared, in Berlin (in Reply to a Question, Exceptionally raised by Children at a special event organized by her CDU Party), that her Favorite Head of State/Goverment was, unexpectedly, ... Norway Prime Minister Erna Solbeg, (Comp. Supra) !

Merkel, who has recently Won anew the German Elections of 9/2017, this time with More than 33% of the Votes, (while the Socialists Fell Down to Only 20%, deciding to go in the Opposition), is Now, for the First Time, Flanked, at her Right, by the Rightists of the "Alternative" (AfD) Party which got 13,5%, and, at her Left side, by the Liberals, who returned back to the Bundestag with 10,5%, as well as the "Greens", with 9,5%, (the "Leftists" holding another 9%) :

A Fact which made her show a Bright Smile, just after the Anouncement of the main Results, Symbolically arbouring a placard with her Favorite Key Word for her ChristianDamocrat Party : "the Center", when she spoke to the Press... (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/2017germanelectionresults.html). That Rare situation Reminds, mutatis-mutandis, what had Existed, somehow, also during Historic Chancellor Adenauer's era, after the 1949, 1953 and 1957 Elections, when his CDU/CSU mainstream Parties had to make a Governing Coalition including also the so-called, then, "German Party" ("die Deutsche Partei" = "DP"), of Ultra-Conservatives, at its Right, as well as the "Liberals" a.o. at its "Left" side...

Nowadays, the "Liberals" and the "Alternative" have Won many More Votes in the 2017 German Elections, with 10,5% and 13,5% respectively, than the "Greens" and the "Leftists", who have practically Stagnated at around 9% each only, so that, at least in Theory, an eventual "Unity of the Right" New Governmental Coalition, (with Merkel's CDU/CSU and the 2 Firstly above mentioned Parties FPD and AfD) would obviously be more Respectfull of the Peuple's Choices, from the point of view of Democracy.

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Such kind of Questions of Political Strategy, in Austria, Germany, and/or Other European Countries, are naturally intermixed also with certain Key, Relevant Issues, and the Positions taken by EU Leaders on them, as, f.ex., Turkey and mass Migration, etc., which have, reportedly, occupied most of the Discussions among EPP Political Leaders, earlier Today, at this ChristianDemocrat/EPP Summit in Brussels, as "Eurofora" learned. (See also : ...).

- But, on the Contrary, EU relations to Russia, (which have been notoriously Damaged since the Ukranian Conflict, which had made too Many Victims, even among Civilian People in the pro-Autonomy, Russian-speaking Regions of Donetsk/Luhansk, Attacked by Heavy Tanks, Missiles, and Military Airplanes, etc, particularly Back on 2014, when Kurz's Precedessor, Spindelegger -a Fellow ChristianDemocrat- suddenly Resigned "UnExpectedly" from "all Political positions", as "Wikipedia" reminds, under pretext of a Tax policy Dispute with the Socialists), were Not yet Discussed, Today, at this EPP Summit, Sebastian Kurz told "Eurofora".

- Kurz (who has notoriously expressed some Interesting Positions for a Peaceful and Ambitious EU - Russia Cooperation prospects, including that of an eventual EU - Russia PanEuropean Free Trade Area, from Portugal up to Vladivostok, as had, Meanwhile, succeeded to Spindelegger, as Austria's Foreign Minister, already from 2013, and, therefore, Served as CoE's President-in-office, during an important part of the 2013 rotating Chairmanship of CoE's Highest Political body : that of its Committee of Ministers, in Strasbourg, then, as "Eurofora" Reminded him, inciting a spontaneous Smile and a Kind Salute from his part, as he told us that he Remembered those CoE Events, (See relevant Photo).

 - Indeed, "Today, he appeared very "Soft", from the outset, "stressing thet he is <<Pro-European>, etc", said to "Eurofora" a German Collegue from a TV-Media, who had seen Kurz Earlier, when he Entered into EPP's Summit, earlier this Morning, here in Brussels.

 Indeed, Kurz was ...the First EU Leader to Enter at Today's EPP Summit, and almost the ...Last to leave it, at the End, (signes of participation in Exceptionally prolonged Dicussions), as "Eurofora" attested.

His Meetings started, at First, by a "Bilateral" with the ChristianDemocrats/EPP party's President, Joseph Daul, himself, (who had Previously shared a Phone Call with Chancellor Merkel, etc), anOther Source told "Eurofora", before an active participation to Extensive Collective Debates (Comp. Supra), but also some Other Dealings, which kept Kurz there much Longer than usual.

The Next Few Weeks might, in Fact, prove to be of Crucial Importance, Both for Austria itself, and for All Europe, which currently Faces several Big Issues, at the Top of Discussions also at Wien's Strategic GeoPolitical crossroads...

Austria is due to Chair the EU Next Year, during the Period of July - December 2018.

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(Photos by Rony Mertens for "Eurofora")

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("DraftNews", as already send to "Eurofora" Subscribers/Donors, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap).

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