The President of Austria has decided to appoint the President of the constitutional court, 69-year-old Brigitte Bierlein, as interim Chancellor of the Republic to form a transitional government before the early elections to the National Council (lower house of Parliament). She will be the first woman Chancellor of Austria. This was stated on Thursday by President Alexander Van der Bellen following consultations with the leaders of Austrian political parties.
“I authorize the President to form a new government, — Van der Bellen said. — She will be the first Chancellor of the Republic of Austria. I am pleased to present the Brigitte Bierlein. She is the current President of the constitutional court and will be appointed by me in a few days as Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria.”
On May 28, the President of Austria dismissed the government headed by Sebastian Kurz and instructed the Ministers to serve temporarily until the formation of the transitional government. He also authorized the Minister of Finance and Vice-Chancellor Hartwig Leger to perform temporarily the duties of Chancellor, as Kurtz refused to perform temporarily his duties. Leger, who served as Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Finance in the Cabinet of Ministers of Kurtz, was to lead the Cabinet for several days until the President found a suitable candidate for the post of interim Chancellor. Leger himself could not hold this post for a long time, because the government of Kurtz was passed a vote of no confidence in Parliament.
The reshuffle in the Austrian government took place after the National Council (lower house of Parliament) on May 27 issued a vote of no confidence in the Cabinet of Ministers Sebastian Kurtz in connection with the government crisis amid the loud resignation of former Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache. Austria due to the collapse of the coalition government of the Austrian people’s party and the Austrian freedom party is preparing for early elections to the National Council in September 2019.
