– The conservative Liberal Party has ruled in Australia for almost ten years. But the country suffers from many problems – mainly due to climate change. Now Down Under has got a new prime minister.
After the parliamentary elections in Australia, it remains unclear whether the election winner Anthony Albanese of the Social Democratic Labor Party will be able to rule with an absolute majority or whether he will rely on votes from other parties.
Experts say it may still be some time before all 151 seats in the lower house are distributed due to the complicated Down Under electoral system. The previous opposition leader, nicknamed “Albo”, will be sworn in as prime minister on Monday and replace incumbent conservative Scott Morrison of the Liberal Party.
Morrison, who is controversial mainly for his coal-friendly climate policies, also wants to step down from party leadership after the election disaster. Hours after voting closed on Saturday night, he conceded defeat and congratulated Alba’s people.
The new 59-year-old prime minister is expected in Tokyo on Tuesday, where he will attend a summit with US President Joe Biden and heads of government from Japan and India. At the so-called Quad Summit, the focus should be on the struggle for a free and open Indo-Pacific. The states are trying not to let China’s influence in the region continue to grow.
