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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 28 May 2019

Ousted by parliament, Austria’s Kurz vows to win job back

By DAVID RISING was “proud and satisfied
PHILIPP JENNE with the work we have
Associated Press done as a government in
VIENNA (AP) — Austrian the past year and a half”
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and pledged to work con-
was ousted by parliament structively with the caretak-
in a no-confidence vote er government.
Monday, paving the way “We will certainly not put
for a new election. The any stones on the path of
young leader, riding high the next government,” he
in popular support, defiant- said. “We will support them
ly vowed that he and his as much as possible.”
center-right People’s Party Van der Bellen told report-
would return to power with ers later that Kurz’s govern-
increased strength. ment would be officially
The vote capped a week dismissed on Tuesday but
of turmoil at the top in ministers would be left in
Austria that started when their positions until a new
Kurz pulled the plug on government can be ap-
his coalition with the far- pointed, hopefully by Fri-
right Freedom Party after day. He said he needed to
a video emerged showing find an interim chancellor
that party’s leader appear- who would be accepted
ing to be offering lucrative by all parties and was hold-
government contracts to a ing talks with all involved.
purported Russian investor. Finance Minister Hartwig
A new election is already Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz waves to his supporters at the political headquarters of Austrian Loeger will take over the
planned for September People’s Party, OEVP, in Vienna, Austria, Monday, May 27, 2019. duties of chancellor in the
and President Alexander Associated Press meantime, he said.
Van der Bellen needs to “In the end, the people will must disappoint them both: center-right party finished In parliament, Kurz sug-
appoint a caretaker gov- decide in September, and I’m still here.” first Sunday in Austria in the gested he had no choice
ernment to serve until then. I’m happy about that,” No-confidence votes are European Parliament elec- but to end his partnership
Less than three hours af- he said to chants from common in Austrian poli- tion with 34.9% support, a with the Freedom Party
ter losing his job, Kurz ap- the crowd of “Chancellor tics, but this is the first one gain of almost 8 percent- after the video emerged
peared before a cheering Kurz!” to have succeeded in its age points over 2014. of Heinz-Christian Strache,
crowd outside party offices He lashed out at the Free- modern history. The result The 32-year-old, who be- who has since resigned as
in Vienna, pledging that dom Party as well as the makes Kurz the shortest- came Europe’s youngest party leader.
“the changes that we be- opposition Social Demo- serving chancellor since leader when he was sworn “It was clear for me that it
gan two years ago will not crats, who brought the no- 1945 with 525 days in office, in just before Christmas meant the end of the coali-
end today.” He said he confidence vote, saying according to the Austria 2017, remained composed tion,” Kurz said.
looked forward to helping from them “we have only Press Agency. earlier in the day amid with- Herbert Kickl, a top Free-
the interim government en- heard one thing, that Kurz Kurz now loses the advan- ering criticism from oppo- dom Party lawmaker, ac-
sure stability in the coming must go. That’s the only tage of campaigning as an nents in parliament before cused Kurz of using the
months, and would fight to platform of those two par- incumbent chancellor but the no-confidence vote. Strache video as a chance
win back his position. ties and I’m afraid to say I remains popular and his He told the body that he to consolidate his power.q