After Sebastian Kurz, whose corruption investigation was launched in Austria, resigned as prime minister, former Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg took the oath of office for the emptied position.
The 52-year-old new Prime Minister Schallenberg appointed by President Alexander Van der Bellen and the new Turkish-born Foreign Minister Michael Linhart took the oath at the Presidential ceremony.
In his speech at the ceremony, Van der Bellen stated that the expectation after the appointments in question was that the coalition government would focus on its work, he also noted that the reshaped government has a great responsibility to establish the trust of the people in politics. Van der Bellen also emphasized that this trust should not be left in words, but should be ensured with work to be done.
Schallenberg is known for his anti-refugee stance, like Kurz, who resigned. According to experts, there will be no significant difference in Austria’s domestic and foreign policy after the reshuffle.
Ankara-born Linhart, who was brought to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and previously held various positions in this ministry, was most recently serving as the Austrian Ambassador to Paris. With these appointments, two diplomats, who had held high-level positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for many years, reached two critical points in the country’s administrative center.
EURONEWS
