News Investigators/ Presidential office on Wednesday said Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen will instruct Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg to head the interim government after Chancellor Karl Nehammer steps down on Friday.
“Federal President Van der Bellen will instruct Federal Minister Alexander Schallenberg to continue leading the chancellor’s federal office and head the interim federal government on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in the presidential chancellery,” the statement read.
Nehammer said he would step down as chancellor and head of the Austrian People’s Party (OVP) after talks on building a coalition government failed.
The Freedom Party (FPO) won the general election on Sept. 29 with about 29 per cent of votes. Still, the president asked Nehammer to lead negotiations to form a government after OVP and Social Democrats (SPO) refused to cooperate with the winner.