Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was forced from power on Monday when his government lost a parliamentary no-confidence vote, paving the way for a new caretaker administration to take charge ahead of elections expected in September.
His ouster follows a tumultuous week after a video emerged apparently showing the head of the far-right Freedom Party — Kurz’s coalition partner — offering valuable government contracts to a woman posing as a Russian investor in return for political influence.
Heinz-Christian Strache stepped down as vice chancellor, and Kurz ended the coalition deal, holding on to power in a caretaker administration. Civil servants replaced the departing Freedom Party ministers.
Losing the chancellorship means Kurz won’t have the advantage of incumbency in the elections, although he can take heart from a strong showing for his People’s Party in the weekend’s European Parliament election. The center-right party topped the poll with 34.9%, a gain of almost eight points since 2014.
Opposition parties accused him of using the scandal to increase his own influence.
“This is a shameless, unrestrained, and irresponsible power grab, this is what we are witnessing,” said Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Social Democrat leader. “But the power in our country is based on the people, and not you.”
Her party brought the no-confidence motion, which was backed by the Freedom Party.
Kurz became Europe’s youngest leader when he was sworn in at the end of 2017 at the age of 31. He departs as the country’s shortest serving chancellor since World War II, according to the Austria Press Agency.
It means President Alexander Van der Bellen must now install a new caretaker government until September’s elections.
