Karl Nehammer, Austria’s interior minister, becomes the new chancellor. The board of the Austrian People’s Party ÖVP has elected him. Nehammer will also be the new party leader.
On Thursday, current Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced his departure. He succeeded Sebastian Kurz in October, who resigned due to a corruption scandal. Kurz allegedly used public money in 2016 to manipulate polls in his favor. He then became the leader of the conservative ÖVP and became Chancellor.
Schallenberg will step down as head of government because he believes the chancellor should also be the ÖVP leader. That party has the most seats in the Bundestag. Schallenberg himself does not want to lead his party. Schallenberg will remain a member of the cabinet, he will return to his previous position as foreign minister.
The 49-year-old Nehammer is a former soldier. As a minister in his country, during the corona pandemic, he was responsible for enforcing lockdowns and restrictions, among other things. He was tipped by the Austrian media as the most likely candidate to become the next ÖVP leader and chancellor.
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