VIENNA – Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg will assume the role of caretaker chancellor on Friday, following the resignation of Karl Nehammer after centrist coalition negotiations collapsed last weekend.
President Alexander Van der Bellen announced the leadership change on Wednesday, confirming that Schallenberg, who previously held the chancellor’s post for two months in 2021, will take over in a caretaker capacity at 11 a.m. local time (1000 GMT).
The political shake-up comes as Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPO), which secured approximately 29% of the vote in September’s parliamentary election, begins efforts to form a coalition government. President Van der Bellen tasked the FPO with this responsibility after attempts to build a coalition excluding the party failed.
Herbert Kickl, leader of the FPO, revealed on Tuesday evening that he had formally invited Christian Stocker, interim leader of the conservative People’s Party (OVP), to coalition talks. Stocker is expected to address the media at 2 p.m. Austria’s current conservative-led government will continue to operate in a caretaker role until a new coalition government is established.