The new Austrian Federal Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg was sworn in today, 11 October, in front of President Alexander Van der Bellen, following the ritual formula at the Hofburg in Vienna. He thus becomes the sixteenth chancellor from the post-war period to today, after the resignation of his predecessor, Sebastian Kurz, overwhelmed by the scandal of polls and advertisements. After him, Michael Linhart, who succeeds Schallenberg in his previous position as foreign minister, was also sworn in.
“It will be the task of the government under Schallenberg’s leadership not only to carry out the projects, but also to regain the trust of the citizens,” underlined Van der Bellen. The president reiterated that “the upcoming challenges, such as the pandemic, the labor market and climate protection cannot be postponed”.
Alexander Schallenberg, 52, had been indicated by Sebastian Kurz himself as his successor, after his resignation on Saturday evening. The decision came in an attempt to defuse the political crisis triggered by the prosecutors’ investigation, which sees him under investigation for corruption and abuse of office. Kurz and his close associates are accused of trying to secure the rise of the leader to lead the party and the country with the help of manipulated polls and favorable media articles, funded with public money. The Greens, a minority partner of the ruling coalition, had publicly called for his replacement.
Van der Bellen, whose role makes him an important arbiter in political crises, said that Kurz “has made an important contribution to the integrity of our institutions”, but that “in recent days, citizens’ confidence in politics has been shaken. once again, massively ». “This government crisis is over,” the president said, welcoming Kurz’s resignation and asking the country’s politicians to work hard to restore voter confidence. “It is up to all those who have political responsibilities, but especially those in government, to restore this confidence in the coming months”, added the head of state, underlining that “words alone are not enough”.
Although he has resigned as chancellor, Kurz will retain the leadership of his party, the Ovp, and will become its group leader in Parliament. The new head of Austrian diplomacy is also one of his followers, who shares his hard line against immigration. It will be “an enormously demanding task,” he declared after receiving the assignment.
Michael Linhart, on the other hand, born in Ankara on 31 August 1958, was ambassador to the French capital from August 2018, after having been general secretary at the foreign ministry for four and a half years. He had also worked for former Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel (OeVP) as a foreign policy advisor.