Embattled Kurz quits as leader amid graft claims
Austria’s Sebastian Kurz on Saturday announced he was stepping down as chancellor following pressure on him to resign after he was implicated in a corruption scandal.
His announcement in a televised media statement caps a spectacular rise in politics and a tumultuous four years as chancellor, in which his government already collapsed once.
Mr Kurz — who in 2017 became the world’s youngest democratically elected leader — said he wanted to “make space to prevent chaos”.
“We need stability,” the 35-year-old conservative said, adding it would be “irresponsible” to allow Austria to “slide into months of chaos or gridlock” while the EU member of almost 9 million fights the pandemic.
Pressure on Mr Kurz to resign, including from his own junior coalition partner the Greens, started after prosecutors on Wednesday raided several locations linked to his People’s Party (OeVP).
They announced that Mr Kurz and nine other individuals were under investigation over claims government money was used between 2016 and 2018 in a corrupt deal to ensure positive media coverage.
Mr Kurz has denied any wrongdoing, reiterating on Saturday that allegations against him were “false”.
“I will be able to clarify it; I’m sure about that,” he said calmly.
Mr Kurz said he would suggest Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg as new chancellor, while he would stay on as OeVP leader and a lawmaker in parliament.
Vice Chancellor and Greens leader Werner Kogler said he would meet Mr Schallenberg yesterday to discuss how the coalition would continue to govern, calling Mr Kurz’s resignation a “right and important step”.
Mr Kogler on Friday had asked the OeVP to name another chancellor, saying Mr Kurz was “no longer fit for office”. But opposition parties criticised the Greens for continuing to work with the OeVP despite the corruption allegations. Social Democrats (SPOe) leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner said Mr Kurz would continue to pull the strings “from the shadows”.