Austrian president dissolves Kurz's government

The Austrian federal government has officially been dismissed by President Alexander Van der Bellen on Tuesday following a vote of no-confidence a day earlier, replaced by an interim government with a new leader.

The dismissal came when both former coalition partners, the scandal-hit right-wing Freedom Party, and the centre-left opposition Social Democrats jointly voted to remove a caretaker government led by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of the center-right People's Party.

Finance Minister Hartwig Loeger of the People's Party has been sworn in as interim chancellor until a new caretaker government can be appointed, that Van der Bellen hopes to achieve within a week.

In addition the dismissed ministers were reappointed into their roles to ensure ministries are running effectively until the new caretaker cabinet takes over.

This new cabinet will govern until snap elections are held, currently scheduled for Autumn.

The political turbulence initially began when a secret video emerged of now-former Freedom Party leader and Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache offering government contracts in exchange for political favor.

He resigned from both posts almost immediately after, though Kurz evidently did not find this to be enough, and called for the dismissal of Strache's close ally, Interior Minister Herbert Kickl.

Kickl was subsequently dismissed, though the remaining Freedom Party ministers resigned in retaliation, leading to a collapse in the coalition, and the implementation by Kurz of a caretaker cabinet, that has now been ousted by the no-confidence motion.

Loeger had initially been given the role of vice-chancellor under Kurz in that first caretaker cabinet.

In response to the ongoing issues, Van der Bellen said "the tedious work is necessary in the long-term."

"We want the best for Austria, that's what I'm expecting. But one has to keep an eye on that and not dwell on that which divides us," he said.

He noted that both he and Kurz agreed that Loeger would take on the interim duties as chancellor, rather than Kurz himself.

He also appealed to all parties to the lower house parliament to join in discussions on how the government will now proceed forward.

Despite his ousting, Kurz and his People's Party are presently enjoying very favorable poll figures, that could even see them strengthen their position in the Autumn election.