The EU is caught between Brexit Britain and a disenchanted group of Middle Europeans whose political sentiment is antithetical to the liberal ideals of the EU, says John Lloyd.

The centre-right party headed by foreign minister Sebastian Kurz has won Austria's national election, putting the 31-year old on track to become Europe's youngest leader, the country's interior ministry said.

The party of Austria's 31-year old foreign minister came first in a national election Sunday, putting him on course to become Europe's youngest head of government, forecasts suggested.

Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz has urged his Italian counterpart not to allow migrants arriving by boat to Italy's islands to travel on to the mainland, declaring that "being saved in the Mediterranean cannot be connected with a ticket to Central Europe".

Austria's foreign minister has urged dozens of counterparts to overcome a "crisis of confidence" hobbling the work of a 57-nation group tasked with reducing tensions in Europe.

Britain is seeking a "strong new European partnership" with the remaining 27 members of the EU after Brexit, the UK's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said.

Austria’s foreign minister has threatened to block the expansion of negotiations with Turkey on its accession to the European Union, which could scupper a landmark migration deal between Brussels and Ankara.

Washington has dropped plans to take the European Union to the World Trade Organisation over its refusal to accept genetically-modified crops, the US embassy in London said today.