Austrian Chancellor Kurz resigns, proposing FM as successor

VIENNA - Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced his resignation on Saturday evening, and proposed Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg as his successor.

In a statement to the media, Kurz said that he wanted to avoid months of chaos and stagnation. "My country is more important to me than my person," he said.

Kurz said that he would return to parliament as the chairman of his conservative party and "use the opportunity to refute the allegations," which he claimed were "false."

Meanwhile, Kurz proposed Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg as his successor, noting that Schallenberg had the diplomatic skills necessary to rebuild trust between the parties.

Kurz has been facing increasing calls for him to step down, including from his own government allies, as the 35-year-old chancellor and nine others have been under investigation over claims that government money was used in a corrupt deal to ensure positive media coverage.

The opposition has called on Kurz to step down and has planned to take a no-confidence vote against him in parliament next Tuesday.