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Austria's Kurz to Govern With Green Party in Unlikely PartnershipAfter months of negotiations, conservatives and leftists have agreed on a coalition that could set an example for the rest of Europe.BERLIN - Seven months after his conservative party's coalition with the far right collapsed in a spectacular scandal, Sebastian Kurz, Austria's former chancellor, announced a new government with the leftist Green party late Wednesday."These were demanding negotiations, but the result is a very good one," Mr. Kurz told reporters. "Both we and the Greens will be able to honor the central election promises we made." Since Austria's snap elections in September, it had been unclear whether Mr. Kurz would revive a politically costly coalition with the far right or reach across the political spectrum to the Greens, his ideological opposites.With the pivot, Mr. Kurz seems intent on demonstrating a willingness to make the ideological compromises needed for a stable government. For the Greens, the coalition presents a chance to show that their party is capable of governing with an establishment conservative party at a national level. Details of the new coalition were to be announced on Thursday. If it succeeds, it may set an example for other European democracies, where Green parties appear poised to enter government coalitions.Across Europe, the Greens have been buoyed by a recent surge of support as issues like climate change rise on the political agenda and traditional Social Democratic parties collapse. The new Austrian coalition may prove to be a harbinger especially for Germany, where there is already talk of forming a similar coalition after the next election, slated for 2021.But in Austria, there is no doubt that the unlikely partners will make for what many expect to be an aw
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