Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz ousted in no-confidence vote

Austrian Parliament has removed Chancellor Sebastian Kurz from office as he lost the no confidence in a special Parliamentary session.

His previous coalition ally, the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the opposition Social Democrats (SPÖ) backed the no-confidence motions.

The FPÖ had become embroiled in a political scandal caused by a secret video, which ended the coalition.

Opposition parties brought forward the two no-confidence votes - one against Kurz and the other against his government.

Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen named Vice Chancellor Hartwig Löger



as the interim leader. Löger will serve until a new transitional government can be appointed ahead of elections expected in September.

The President will formally remove the government from office this morning.

Kurz, head of the conservative Austrian People's Party, is the first Chancellor in post-war Austrian history to lose a confidence vote. He was the world's youngest state leader when elected in 2017, at 31.

 

Kurz's surprise strong showing in recent European Union elections - with a projected 35% of the vote - was not enough to save him.