national leader as 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz of the Conservative People’s Party, according to projections is set to win the country’s general election.
Nicknamed “Wunderwuzzi” (very roughly translated as wonder hotshot), Kurz, who has been compared to young leaders of France and Canada, Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau is set to win by more than 31% on the platform of the People’s Party.
Addressing his supporters, Mr Kurz said: “It is time for change in this country. Today is a strong order for us, to change this country, and I say thank you to you all who made this possible.
“I’m overwhelmed, I am happy, and I look forward to working for Austria.”
In the wake of Europe’s 2015 refugee crisis, Kurz moved his party to the right, as immigration issues became a dominant part of debates in the run-up to the poll.
He appealed to conservative and right-wing voters with pledges to shut down migrant routes to Europe, cap benefit payments to refugees, and bar immigrants from receiving benefits until they have lived in Austria for five years.
The emergence of Kurz in the west is a far cry from the situation of things in Africa where its leaders leave no room for the young to take over with their sit-tight posture which has often caused political unrest and turmoil.
In Zimbabwe, 94-year-old Robert Mugabe has declared his intention to contest 2018 election, saying there’s no replacement for him. It is the same in Cameroon with Paul Biya and Uganda where a proposed decision to change the country’s constitution to let long-ruling President Yoweri Museveni run for re-election after age 75, saw lawmakers engage in a brawl for two days over the proposed move.
However, the situation may change in Nigeria after the Nigerian Senate in June passed the Not Too Young To Run bill- the much-anticipated bill which seeks age reduction for elective offices in the country.
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