Question: What is the name of the Austrian Chancellor ousted on May 28, 2019 after no confidence motion?
(a) Norbert Hofer
(b) Alexander Van Der Bellen
(c) Sebastian Kurz
(d) Herbert Kickl
Answer: (c)
Related facts:
- Austrian Parliament has removed Chancellor Sebastian Kurz from office as he lost the no confidence in a special Parliamentary session on May 28, 2019.
- His previous coalition ally, the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the opposition Social Democrats (SPÖ) backed the no-confidence motions. The FPÖ had become involved in a political scandal caused by a secret video, which ended the coalition.
- Two no-confidence votes was brought forward by the oppositions – one against Kurz and the other against his government.
- Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen named Vice Chancellor Hartwig Löger as the interim leader. He will serve until the appointment of a new transitional government.
- Kurz was the head of the conservative Austrian People’s Party, is the first Chancellor in post-war Austrian history to lose a confidence vote.
- He was the world’s youngest state leader, just 31 when elected in 2017.
- While the SPÖ control only 52 of the 183-seat lower house, the FPÖ – which holds 51 seats – also backed the motions, which needed only a simple majority to pass.
Video scandal:
- The video sting has widely been labelled “Ibiza-gate”, after the Spanish island where the footage was recorded.
- It was secretly filmed in July 2017 in which Kurz was seen promising niece of a Russian oligarch for tenders and public contracts in return of donations and political support to his party. It was released by German media.
Links:
http://ddnews.gov.in/international/austrian-chancellor-sebastian-kurz-ousted-no-confidence-vote
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48422732