Austrian FM Kurz 'Unanimously Elected' Chairman of Ruling Coalition Party OVP

Austrian Foreign Minster Sebastian Kurz said Sunday that the Austrian People's Party (OVP), one of the two parties of the ruling coalition, had elected him the party’s chairman.

VIENNA (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, Austrian Vice-Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner, who was also the country's economy minister and chairman of the Austrian People's Party (OVP), announced his resignation from all posts. The party's meeting to appoint the new leader was held earlier in the day.

"I was unanimously elected leader of the Austrian People's Party," Kurz told reporters.

Austria's coalition government is formed by the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO) and the OVP. After Mitterlehner's resignation, Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Kern proposed to the OVP and Kurz to continue their work within the coalition government.

Earlier this week, Kurz called for snap parliamentarian elections and suggested holding elections on the same day when Germany is going to elect a new parliament, i.e. on September 24, 2017. The minister also declined the chancellor's proposal to let the coalition work further in order to implement reforms in the country.