7 minutes agoRuling People's Party Chooses Former Military Chancellor
Periskopi(5 years ago)
(5 years ago)After 24 hours of political unrest, Austria's ruling People's Party has elected Interior Minister Carl Nehammer to take office as party and country leader. Nehammer will be the party's third election to the Chancellor within weeks after Sebastian Kurz left power in October. He is under [...]
On Thursday, Kurz resigned as party leader, prompting his deputy Chancellor to say he would also resign. Alexander Schallenberg said he is convinced the country should be run by the same person as leader of the ruling party. The People's Party (ÖVP) is in coalition with the Greens, who withdrew their support for Kurz when prosecutors said they were investigating it.
The “Today was unanimously appointed by the leadership of ♫VP as party chairman and at the same time as the candidate for federal Chancellor. ” said Nehammer, writes BBC, broadcasts the KK.
He said the government should state clearly what is needed when it comes to asylum and migration, when it comes to security for the Austrian people”. The Greens will not interfere, so he will become Chancellor as soon as he deals with the president, Alexander Van der Bellen, for the oath ceremony. In all, there were three party resignations Thursday, as Finance Minister Gernot Blümel also resigned, so Nehammer will have immediate task of reshuffleing the cabinet as well.
The change marks the end of Sebastian Kurz's career, which was only 31 years old when he became Austrian Chancellor in 2017. His first coalition was priority in May 2019, when the far-right Freedom Party was involved in a political scandal called Ibiza-gates involving a secret video.
His position became unstable in October 2021, when anti-corruption prosecutors began investigating allegations that his circle had previously used public funds for “characters in partially manipulated opinion “. Kurz denied it, but the Greens said he was no longer suitable for the post and asked him to leave.
