Brigitte Bierlein appointed as Austria’s chancellor of interim technocratic government

Brigitte Bierlein has been appointed as Austria’s first female chancellor, at the head of an interim technocratic government to rule the country for the next four months. Ms Bierlein, the current president of Austria’s constitutional court, will be formally sworn into office in the coming days, said President Alexander Van der Bellen on Thursday.

The 69 year-old jurist’s appointment brings to a close a rancorous fortnight in Austrian politics, viewed by many in Vienna as the most serious political crisis in the Austrian second republic’s history.

Speaking alongside Van der Bellen, Bierlein said she “decided to take on this earnest task for the good of Austria,” calling it her political responsibility to do so.

Bierlein also thanked the president for his confidence in her abilities, saying, “I will do everything within my power to earn the trust that you have put in me.”

She noted that her new government’s most important task would be to calm the current political situation and build mutual trust between parties.

Via FT / DW

Discover more from The Dispatch

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Verified by MonsterInsights