Likely new Austrian leader proposes politician pay freeze

Austria's likely next leader is proposing that the country's politicians do without a pay increase next year after auditors calculated that they are entitled to a 1.5 percent raise.

Conservative leader Sebastian Kurz, who is in talks with the right-wing Freedom Party on forming a new coalition government and is expected to become chancellor, told the Austria Press Agency Tuesday he's proposing a pay freeze for members of the government and the Austrian parliament. He hopes for an agreement with other parties in parliament later this month.

Kurz said: "We promised that we would save on the system and not on people. That means that we should start in politics, with ourselves."

The Austrian Court of Audit has calculated that lawmakers are entitled to a 1.5 percent raise next year.