Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced his resignation after the Saturday night cabinet meeting following the corruption investigations against him.
Kurz requests the suspension of his immunity so that the investigation can continue and he can prove his innocence. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg will temporarily take over the Chancellor's duties.
Kurz denies the allegations but said he resigned because he wanted to spare Austria the chaos. Otherwise, the charge is embezzlement, accepting bribes and kickbacks, as well as disclosing manipulated public opinion poll data at public expense. According to the suspicion, the value of the advertisements and media cooperation agreements in question was 1.3 million euros (almost HUF 470 million).
On ORF public television, Kurz categorically rejected the accusations that he was behind the case. He emphasized that in 2016 he was neither party president, nor finance minister, nor chancellor. He said there was no evidence that he was involved.
(Cover image source: MTI/EPA/Christian Bruna )
