Austrian chancellor to stand down amid corruption probe

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz

Vienna [Austria], October 10 (ANI/Sputnik): Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has announced that he will resign and suggested that Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg take his place.

"What we need now is stability. That's why I want to step aside to help resolve this stalemate, prevent chaos and guarantee stability," Kurz said on Saturday.

Kurz said he would stay at the helm of his liberal-conservative People's Party, which is governing the small Alpine nation in coalition with the Greens.

"I asked the People's Party to continue their work. As the party's leader, I suggested that the federal president, Alexander Schallenberg, take over as new head of government," he added.

The 35-year-old spoke days after prosecutors announced that the chancellor and nine of his allies were under a corruption investigation. They are suspected of using public funds to secure positive media coverage. (ANI/Sputnik)