Having issued a warning midweek that Austria was ready to start a "conflict" to block the EU-Canada free-trade agreement (CETA), the Austrian Chancellor, Christian Kern, softened his stance on Friday 2 September, whilst reiterating his concerns over investment protection and the defence of social and environmental standards.
"It will be difficult, it will be the next conflict to be started by Austria within the EU (…). We must tread carefully (…) so as not to tip the balance of power...