Austria’s Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg to step down

Alexander Schallenberg announced Thursday he would step down as Austrian chancellor as soon as his conservative People’s Party agrees on its next leader, hours after Sebastian Kurz said he was leaving the position.

“It is not my intention and was never my goal to take over the function of party leader of the People’s Party,” Schallenberg said on Twitter. “I am firmly of the opinion that both offices — head of government and leader of the party with the largest number of votes in Austria — should quickly be reunited [under one person].”

Schallenberg had taken over as chancellor in October from Kurz, who resigned as the country’s leader but initially remained head of the party amid a corruption investigation into accusations that he used public money to bribe pollsters and journalists — allegations which he denies. Kurz said earlier Thursday he would quit politics altogether, saying he planned to spend more time with his newborn son and also citing the mental burden of the ongoing investigation.

Kurz’s first term as chancellor, from 2017 until 2019, was similarly mired in scandal over the so-called Ibiza affair involving his former coalitions partners.

“I declared my readiness [to become chancellor] at a very challenging time for the federal government and the People’s Party,” Schallenberg tweeted. “I have great respect for Sebastian Kurz’s decision and I thank him for his work for our country.”

According to the newspaper Der Standard, the likeliest candidate to become leader of the People’s Party (ÖVP) and Austria’s next chancellor is current Interior Minister Karl Nehammer.

When announcing his own decision to leave politics Thursday, Kurz said the corruption investigation had taken its toll on him and diminished his passion for politics. Kurz insisted again he is innocent of the allegations and said he looked forward to the day he could prove it.

“I am neither a saint nor a criminal — I am a human being with strengths and weaknesses with mistakes and everything else that goes with it,” Kurz said.

Source: Politico