The Austrian government has lost a no-confidence vote in a special parliamentary session on Monday over the Ibiza corruption scandal.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, leader of the conservative People's Party (ÖVP), was the first Austrian chancellor to lose a confidence vote in post-war history. </s> VIENNA: Austria´s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Monday lost a no-confidence vote in parliament, removing him and his cabinet from office over a corruption scandal that brought has down his coalition government.

"An application (by the opposition Social Democrats) has been accepted, so he has lost the confidence" of parliament, deputy speaker Doris Bures said. The move comes just after Kurz celebrated a big win for his conservative People´s Party (OeVP) in Sunday´s European elections, which is projected to gain 34.9 percent of the vote and two extra European parliament seats.

It comes in the wake of the so-called "Ibiza-gate" scandal, which saw FPOe leader and Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache resign from both posts after he was caught appearing to offer public contracts in return for campaign help from a fake Russian backer.

That led to Kurz ending his coalition with the FPOe and calling early elections for the autumn, but the opposition say the 32-year-old leader must also take responsibility for the scandal. The no-confidence vote against Kurz and his government took place in a special sitting of parliament with more than half of MPs withdrawing their support, making him the shortest-serving chancellor, as well as the first in post-war Austrian history to be removed in this fashion.

Social Democrats (SPOe) leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner accused Kurz of an unprecedented "uncurbed and shameless power grab" when bringing forward the motion against him. Kurz´s former partner, the FPOe, also supported the motion. It is now up to President Alexander Van der Bellen to appoint experts to lead the government and all the ministries until the elections.

Speaking in parliament before the vote, Kurz accused the opposition of causing instability with the motion against his government, but said if the vote succeeded, he would ensure an orderly transition to whoever is appointed next.

The far-right, meanwhile, seemed to have suffered a setback in Sunday´s vote over "Ibiza-gate", falling from 19.7 percent to 17.2 percent and losing one of their four MEPs. The scandal erupted following the publication on May 17 of hidden-camera recordings filmed in a luxury villa on the holiday island of Ibiza a few months before Austria´s last parliamentary elections in 2017.

Amid a welter of embarrassing comments, Strache appeared to allude to a scheme channelling political donations through FPOe-linked foundations in order to avoid legal scrutiny. After Strache´s resignation, Kurz also sacked FPOe interior minister Herbert Kickl, arguing he could not oversee any possible investigation into his own party´s wrongdoing. FPOe ministers responded by walking out of the government en masse, leading to Kurz appointing experts to take their place in an interim government.

When he first became chancellor in late 2017, Kurz was widely hailed on the European right as someone who could successfully tap into surging anti-immigration sentiment while projecting a polished demeanour. Since the crisis broke, he has projected himself as a paragon of stability in a turbulent political climate, and analysts say this will be a key message for him to use.

But even before the current crisis, Kurz found himself constantly having to bat away criticism for alleged extremist sympathies among FPOe members.

The opposition has placed the blame for the current debacle squarely at the feet of Kurz himself for having invited the far-right into government in the first place, saying he had ample warning of the unsuitability of the FPOe for government. Kurz has trod a fine line in his statements since the crisis broke, admitting he found the FPOe´s antics "hard to swallow" but insisting he had no other choice. "There was no other party which was ready to form a coalition with us," he told journalists on Thursday, when asked whether he regretted the coalition. </s> Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has been ousted after losing a no-confidence vote in the Austrian parliament on Monday, a day after consolidating power for his centre-right Austrian People’s party.

Kurz and his cabinet were unable to weather a corruption scandal that had already brought down his coalition government earlier this month that involved now-former Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache.

Strache was caught appearing to offer public contracts in return for campaign help and media access through Russian connections.

Kurz had previously celebrated a big win for his conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) in Sunday’s European elections, which is projected to gain 34.9% of the vote and two extra European parliament seats, but the opposition claims that the 32-year-old leader must take responsibility for the scandal along with the disgraced Strache.

The no-confidence vote against Kurz took place in a special sitting of parliament with more than half of the MPs withdrawing their support. Kurz is now the shortest-serving chancellor as well as the first in post-war Austrian history to be removed by parliament.

The Social Democrats leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner accused Kurz of a “shameless power grab” while tabling the no-confidence motion.

It is now up to President Alexander Van der Bellen to appoint experts to lead the government ahead of the elections. </s> BERLIN — Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of Austria and his caretaker government were ousted from power on Monday with a no-confidence vote in Parliament as the ramifications of a secretly filmed video plunged the once-stable central European country further into political chaos.

Mr. Kurz, 32, became the first Austrian leader in more than seven decades to be removed from power by his fellow lawmakers. The action came despite a gain of eight percentage points of popular support for Mr. Kurz’s conservative People’s Party in the European Parliament elections.

It has been a turbulent week for Austrian politics. Mr. Kurz’s coalition government with the far-right Freedom Party collapsed after the party’s leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, resigned as vice chancellor when a video emerged that showed him promising government contracts to a woman claiming to be a wealthy Russian in exchange for financial support.

The meeting, which was filmed in 2017 without Mr. Strache’s knowledge, appears to have been a setup. But it nonetheless raised questions about the Freedom Party’s ethics, given their leader’s apparent willingness to trade political favors for Russian black money. Prosecutors in Vienna said on Monday that they had opened an investigation into who was behind the video. </s> Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz ousted by the Austrian Parliament. He was ousted as he lost the no confidence in a special Parliamentary session.

His previous coalition ally, the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the opposition Social Democrats (SPÖ) backed the no-confidence motions. The FPÖ had become embroiled in a political scandal caused by a secret video, which ended the coalition.

Opposition parties brought forward the two no-confidence votes – one against Kurz and the other against his government. Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen named Vice Chancellor Hartwig Löger as the interim leader. Löger will serve until a new transitional government can be appointed ahead of elections expected in September.

Kurz, head of the conservative Austrian People’s Party, is the first Chancellor in post-war Austrian history to lose a confidence vote. He was the world’s youngest state leader when elected in 2017, at 31.

Kurz’s surprisingly strong showing in recent European Union elections – with a projected 35% of the vote – was not enough to save him. </s> Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is ousted by parliament in no-confidence vote

BERLIN (AP) — Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is ousted by parliament in no-confidence vote. </s> Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called for snap elections after his junior coalition partner stumbled over a video showing its leader promising government contracts in return for campaign funding.

“Enough is enough,” Kurz said on Saturday evening in Vienna, adding he wants elections as “soon as possible.”

Heinz-Christian Strache stepped down as vice chancellor and head of the nationalist Freedom Party earlier in the day, calling his actions depicted on the video “dumb” and “embarrassing.”

Strache said he resigned to rescue the coalition with Kurz’s conservative People’s Party, but ultimately this proved to be insufficient. Elections can be held in August at the earliest. Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, who’s in charge of appointing and dismissing governments, will speak later tonight.

The result of the ballot could leave Kurz, the European Union’s youngest leader, in an awkward situation: He’s likely to win the ballot, but not by a margin large enough to govern alone. A new coalition with the Freedom Party may not be possible after the video scandal, be it for lack of votes or backing in Kurz’s People’s Party.

At the same time, the chancellor has burnt bridges to the opposition Social Democrats, with whom his party governed in most previous coalitions since the Second World War. Kurz built his rise to power on breaking with that tradition, so returning to the fold might hurt his credibility.

The People’s Party first attempt to govern with the Freedom Party failed in 2002 after just two years and snap elections ended with victory for the conservatives and defeat for the nationalists. There may be hopes in the party to repeat that stint.

The footage from a 2017 meeting in Ibiza with a woman claiming to be the niece of a Russian oligarch was obtained by German publications Der Spiegel and Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Spiegel didn’t disclose how it obtained the video and said it doesn’t know the motives of the people who made it.

Strache, speaking after handing in his resignation to Kurz in Vienna on Saturday, confirmed the Ibiza meeting while saying he did nothing illegal. He said he pointed out to the woman in the video that Austrian laws had to be obeyed, and that he never received donations from her or gave her any business.

The video was shot illegally and “this was a targeted attempt of political assassination, this was hired work,” Strache told reporters. He already appeared to be in campaign mode in his resignation press conference, praising the government’s achievements. “I want to provide no pretense whatsoever by my misbehavior to bring down this government.”

Austria’s Audit Court said Saturday it would question the Freedom Party’s finances related to the video. Christian Pilnacek of the Justice Ministry told Kurier newspaper that prosecutors will be examining the video. The Freedom Party denies any wrongdoing.

With assistance from Jonathan Tirone and Patrick Donahue. </s> Austria’s parliament has voted to remove Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his government from office in a special parliamentary session.

His previous coalition ally, the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), backed the motions brought by the opposition Social Democrats (SPÖ).

The FPÖ had become embroiled in a political scandal caused by a secret video, which ended the coalition. Austria’s president must now decide who will be chancellor.

This leader will head a caretaker government ahead of elections expected in September. Kurz, head of the conservative Austrian People’s Party, is the first chancellor in post-war Austrian history to lose a confidence vote. At 32, he is the world’s youngest state leader.

The SPÖ brought forward the two no-confidence votes – one against Kurz and the other against the government.

While they control only 52 of the 183-seat lower house, the FPÖ – who hold 51 seats – agreed to back the motions, which needed only a simple majority to pass.

Kurz’s surprise strong showing in Sunday’s European Union elections – with a projected 35% of the vote – was not enough to save him. On Facebook he accused the parties of a “game of revenge” ahead of the confidence votes.

The parties ranged against Kurz appeared to believe he should shoulder some of the blame for the fall of the coalition. (BBC) </s> Austria’s chancellor has called for an early election in the country after his vice chancellor resigned over ‘catastrophic’ hidden camera footage that showed him apparently promising government contracts to a purported Russian investor.

Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, 49, leader of the far-right, antiimmigrant Freedom Party stepped down after the video was published by two German newspapers.

On Friday, the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung and the weekly Der Spiegel published extracts of the video that allegedly showed Strache offering lucrative contracts to a woman posing as the niece of a Russian oligarch who said she was interested in investing large amounts of money in Austria.

The video was allegedly filmed in 2017, shortly before the election that brought Strache to power with the Freedom Party, the smaller partner in Austria’s ruling government coalition.

Strache described the sting as a ‘targeted political assassination’ that never led to any money changing hands, insisting the only crime that took place was illegally videotaping a private dinner party.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, leader of the coalition government’s People’s Party, has now called for an early election after Syrache’s resignation.

Mr Kurz said he would ask President Alexander Van der Bellen to set a date for a new election ‘as soon as possible’.

At a news conference late on Saturday, Mr Kurz said talks with remaining officials from the Freedom Party showed they were not willing to make the changes he felt necessary to continue the current coalition.

Mr Kurz also said a possible coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats would derail the government’s programme of limiting debt and taxes.

Mr Strache’s resignation was a black eye for the populist and nationalist forces who favour tighter European immigration policies.

It came only a few days before the May 23-26 European elections.

In his resignation statement yesterday, Strache conceded his behaviour in the video was ‘stupid, irresponsible and a mistake’.

In the video, he and party colleague Johann Gudenus are heard telling the unnamed woman she could expect lucrative construction work if she bought Austria’s Kronen Zeitung newspaper and supported the Freedom Party.

The video spanned six hours of drink-fuelled conversation in a villa on the Spanish island of Ibiza between the Austrian politicians and the woman.

Strache said he had been in a state of ‘increasing alcohol intoxication’ and had ‘behaved like a teenager’ in an attempt to ‘impress the attractive host’.

He said he had had no further contact with the woman and she did not donate to his party. He claimed to be a victim of the illegal use of surveillance equipment.

In the video, Mr Strache also appeared to suggest ways of funnelling money to his party via an unconnected foundation to circumvent Austrian rules on political donations.

The justice spokesman for the opposition Social Democratic Party, Hannes Jarolim, has asked prosecutors to look into the matter, the APA news agency reported.

Mr Jarolim reportedly claimed the statements in the video could constitute offences or attempted offences such as misuse of office, bribery and money laundering.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz loses a no-confidence vote following a corruption scandal over a secret video.