Majority Of Austrians Want Former Chancellor Kurz To Quit Politics - Poll

VIENNA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th October, 2021) More than 60% of Austrians want former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to retire from politics altogether, a public opinion poll showed on Monday.

According to the poll results, 65% of respondents were in favor of Kurz resigning as the chairman of the Austrian People's Party (APP), and only 27% believe that he should keep his position. At the same time, current chancellor Alexander Schallenberg is rated as the most suitable politician from the APP to take office.

On October 6, Austrian prosecutors confirmed that Kurz and nine others were under a corruption investigation, and that the chancellery and the offices of Kurz's APP had been searched.

According to investigators, Kurz and his allies are suspected of having used public funds in 2016-2018 to buy positive media coverage.

On October 9, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced that he would step down over corruption claims, suggesting that Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg succeed him. President Alexander Van der Bellen swore in the new prime minister, Schallenberg and the new foreign minister, Michael Linhart, at a ceremony on October 11.