Austrian parliament votes to sack Chancellor Sebastian Kurz after corruption scandal
Austrian MPs have backed a motion of no confidence in the country’s Chancellor after a corruption scandal claimed the head of his coalition partner and deputy Heinz-Christian Strache.
Parliament voted in favour of sacking Sebastian Kurz from the role this afternoon, forcing his government out of office.
Read more: Merkel says Brexit delay possible if MPs support May's deal
The Chancellor’s fate was all but sealed earlier today when his former coalition partner, the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), said it would back the motion.
His downfall came after a corruption scandal earlier this month tore apart the coalition he had built with the FPO, when its leader was caught on tape offering to fix government contracts for a woman posing as a Russian oligarch’s daughter.
Heinz-Christian Strache resigned as party leader and Kurz’s vice chancellor after the video, which was shot on the Mediterranean island Ibiza, was released by two German newspapers.
The publicity sent the Dutch pop band Vengaboys’ 1999 hit Going to Ibiza to number one in Austria last week.
Kurz ended the coalition after the video emerged, and called for a snap election before the previously scheduled general election in September.
Read more: ‘Wake-up call’: Germany downgrades 2019 growth forecast
It was enough to help his conservative Austrian People’s Party party win the European elections with 34 per cent of the country’s vote, however did not save his leadership.
It will now fall to president Alexander Van der Bellen to appoint a chancellor who can take the country forward with parliament’s backing until September.