Shallenberg Alexander (Alexander Schallenberg)

Shallenberg Alexander (Alexander Schallenberg)

Biography

2021

Appointment as Chancellor of Austria

On October 11, 2021, former Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg was sworn in by President Alexander Van der Bellen at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, after his predecessor Sebastian Kurz unexpectedly resigned amid a corruption scandal.

In mid-October 2021, Sebastian Kurz announced that he was resigning from his post, a few days after his office was searched by the Austrian prosecutor's office investigating him, as well as members of his party team on suspicion of bribery and abuse of trust. The 35-year-old politician is under investigation due to the fact that state money was used to ensure positive coverage of events in the daily newspaper. Sebastian Kurz said allegations of corruption against him are erroneous and denied using state money for political purposes, but separately noted that he wants to vacate his work chair to guarantee stability to his state.

Sebastian Kurz will continue to head the center-right Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and will remain a member of the Austrian parliament. The representative of the chancellery said on October 10, 2021 that Kurtz enjoys the full support of the people's party.

Pamela Randy-Wagner, leader of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), said Kurz will remain a very influential figure.

On October 6, 2021, as part of the investigation, searches were carried out in several places, including two government ministries. According to an official report from the State Prosecutor's Office for Economics and Corruption (WKStA), in the period from 2016, according to a minimum estimate until 2018, the budget funds of the Ministry of Finance were used to finance exclusively party-politically motivated, sometimes manipulated polls conducted by a public opinion research company in the interests of the political party and its top leadership. The results of the surveys were published (without advertising) in the editorial section of the Austrian daily newspaper and other media belonging to the same group.

Austrian media identified the daily newspaper involved in this case as the tabloid newspaper Austria (Österreich), the daily newspaper was founded in 2006 on the model of the American newspaper USA Today. The publication rejects the accusations and denies any offenses in numerous articles. In Austria, there is a coalition in power, which includes SPÖ Kurz, as well as the Greens, and it was from the second party that in October 8, 2021 demanded that SPÖ appoint someone to the post of chancellor who is not involved in the corruption case being investigated in Austria.^[1]

Resignation from the post of Chancellor of Austria

In early December 2021, Karl Nehammer became the new chancellor of Austria. He replaced Alexander Schallenberg, who stayed as head of government for less than two months. Nehammer was sworn in by Alexander Van der Bellen on December 4. More details here.

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