“I think the allegations in the room are wrong,” said Schallenberg on Monday after he was sworn in. Shortly after his resignation he will remain head of the conservative ÖVP and will move to parliament as leader of the parliamentary group. “I will of course work very closely with him,” said Schallenberg in his first statement as Chancellor.
After a political crisis that lasted for days, the former Foreign Minister, who was born in Bern, was sworn in as Chancellor by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen as successor to Sebastian Kurz on Monday in Vienna. Because of corruption investigations against the conservative Kurz, the co-ruling Greens under Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler had demanded his redemption and otherwise the coalition would collapse.
“Together with Vice Chancellor Kogler, I will do everything I can to fill in the trenches that have arisen,” said Schallenberg. It is now a matter of implementing the recently negotiated agreements on a budget and a climate tax model.
Kogler was satisfied with the personnel changes at the top of the government. “I assume that the chances are now very good again,” that the coalition will hold until the next regular election date in September 2024, he said.