The current head of the Austrian Interior Ministry, Karl Nehammer, will lead the Austrian People’s Party (ANP) after the final departure of former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz from politics. He became a candidate for the post of chancellor of the country, according to the Austrian edition Kurier. The current Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg, who has been Foreign Minister since June 2019, announced his intention to resign yesterday.
According to the newspaper, the decision to nominate Karl Nehammer for the post of chancellor was made at a meeting of the ANP board, which took place today. All votes were cast for his candidacy. Gerhard Karner was nominated for the post of head of the Austrian Interior Ministry.
Austrian Finance Minister Gernot Blumel also announced today that he is leaving his post. He explained that he wants to devote himself to the family in connection with the birth of his second child. According to Mr. Blumel, his decision was also influenced by the resignation of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
Sebastian Kurz, who served as Austrian Chancellor since December 2017, resigned on October 9 after prosecutors launched an investigation against him and nine of his associates in a corruption and bribery case. Yesterday Sebastian Kurz announced that he would resign as chairman of the ANP and completely withdraw from national politics in connection with the birth of his son.
For more information on the reasons for the resignation of Sebastian Kurz from the post of Austrian Chancellor, see the Kommersant article “My country is more important to me than myself.”
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