Austrian president suggests Sept for new vote

VIENNA: Austria’s president has said that the first few days of September would be the best time to hold an early election after a covert video scandal shook up the country’s politics.

President Alexander Van der Bellen spoke on Sunday after meeting with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Kurz called for a new election following the resignation of his vice chancellor, Heinz-Christian Strache, on Saturday.

This came after Strache apologised for his actions in a video where he apparently offered government contracts to a purported Russian investor at an alcohol-fuelled gathering in Ibiza. Kurz decided not to continue the governing coalition between his centre-right People’s Party and Strache’s anti-migrant Freedom Party.

The video was published by two German media outlets. President Van der Bellen said: “Everything must be done to restore trust in officeholders, in the representatives of the people.”