Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann quit Monday, bowing to intense pressure two weeks after the anti-immigration far-right triumphed in the first round of presidential elections.
The centre-left Faymann, 56, chancellor for the past eight years, said in a surprise statement that he no longer had "strong backing" in his party, the Social Democrats (SPOe).
"As a result of this insufficient support, I am accepting the consequences and resign my functions as party leader and chancellor, effective today," he said.
It was unclear who would succeed him.
Heinz-Christian Strache, head of the populist Freedom Party (FPOe), said it was "more than doubtful whether a party (the SPOe) acting as chaotically as this is capable of governing Austria at such a time of crisis."
He said Faymann's resignation "does not solve the SPOe's basic problem, which is its utterly wrong policies (decided) over the heads of people and against Austria's interests."
The SPOe and its coalition partner since 2008, the centre-right People's Party (OeVP), have dominated Austrian politics since World War II but their support has been sliding in recent years.
At the last general election, in 2013, they only just scratched together a majority, and polls suggest they will struggle to do so again at the next scheduled vote in 2018.
Mirroring similar trends across Europe, they have been bleeding support to fringe groups, in Austria's case in particular to the FPOe, the former party of the controversial, late Joerg Haider.
The FPOe has tapped into unease about immigration after Austria last year saw a record 90,000 people claim asylum, and around 10 times that number pass through at the high point of Europe's migrant crisis.
The low-key Faymann, who was little known when he became chancellor, at first echoed German Chancellor Angela Merkel's welcoming stance but in recent months took a harder line.
This though failed to stop the rise of the far-right.
His coalition has also presided over a rise in unemployment, with Austria losing its crown as the EU member with the lowest jobless rate. The coalition has squabbled over structural reforms too.
- Friendly far-right -
The FPOe is leading national opinion polls and on April 24, in the first round of elections to the largely -- but not entirely -- ceremonial post of president, the FPOe's Norbert Hofer came a clear first with 35 percent.
Hofer, 45, who presents himself as the friendly and reasonable face of the FPOe, will now be up against Alexander van der Bellen, a former head of the Greens who came second, in a runoff on May 22.
The two ruling parties' candidates were relegated into distant fourth and fifth places, failing to make it through to the runoff with just 11 percent of the vote each.
This historic failure means that for the first time since 1945, there will not be a president from within these two parties in Vienna's Hofburg palace.
This in turn could mean that the new president might make use of some of the considerable powers afforded to the head of state under Austria's constitution, powers which until now have been not been used.
In theory the Austrian president can fire the government -- as Hofer has threatened to do if elected -- or dissolve parliament. Van der Bellen has said he would not appoint an FPOe-led government.
- A new face -
Deputy Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner, from the OeVP, will replace Faymann on an interim basis but it was unclear who would be his permanent successor.
Christian Kern, head of the national railways company, and Gerhard Zeiler, former chief of national broadcaster ORF, have been touted as possible replacements.
The party's central committee was due to meet later on Monday but the Austria Press Agency reported that a decision on Faymann's successor would be taken at an extraordinary party meeting on May 17.
"It would be good to have a new face, someone from outside the party," said Karin Cvrtila from the OGM polling institute. "They need to agree a position on the main question: how to deal with the FPOe."
This, Cvrtila said, could even be leaving open the possibility of forming a coalition with the far-right -- something which could however tear the SPOe apart.
Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann quit Monday, bowing to intense pressure two weeks after the anti-immigration far-right triumphed in the first round of presidential elections.
The centre-left Faymann, 56, chancellor for the past eight years, said in a surprise statement that he no longer had “strong backing” in his party, the Social Democrats (SPOe).
“As a result of this insufficient support, I am accepting the consequences and resign my functions as party leader and chancellor, effective today,” he said.
It was unclear who would succeed him.
Heinz-Christian Strache, head of the populist Freedom Party (FPOe), said it was “more than doubtful whether a party (the SPOe) acting as chaotically as this is capable of governing Austria at such a time of crisis.”
He said Faymann’s resignation “does not solve the SPOe’s basic problem, which is its utterly wrong policies (decided) over the heads of people and against Austria’s interests.”
The SPOe and its coalition partner since 2008, the centre-right People’s Party (OeVP), have dominated Austrian politics since World War II but their support has been sliding in recent years.
At the last general election, in 2013, they only just scratched together a majority, and polls suggest they will struggle to do so again at the next scheduled vote in 2018.
Mirroring similar trends across Europe, they have been bleeding support to fringe groups, in Austria’s case in particular to the FPOe, the former party of the controversial, late Joerg Haider.
The FPOe has tapped into unease about immigration after Austria last year saw a record 90,000 people claim asylum, and around 10 times that number pass through at the high point of Europe’s migrant crisis.
The low-key Faymann, who was little known when he became chancellor, at first echoed German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s welcoming stance but in recent months took a harder line.
This though failed to stop the rise of the far-right.
His coalition has also presided over a rise in unemployment, with Austria losing its crown as the EU member with the lowest jobless rate. The coalition has squabbled over structural reforms too.
– Friendly far-right –
The FPOe is leading national opinion polls and on April 24, in the first round of elections to the largely — but not entirely — ceremonial post of president, the FPOe’s Norbert Hofer came a clear first with 35 percent.
Hofer, 45, who presents himself as the friendly and reasonable face of the FPOe, will now be up against Alexander van der Bellen, a former head of the Greens who came second, in a runoff on May 22.
The two ruling parties’ candidates were relegated into distant fourth and fifth places, failing to make it through to the runoff with just 11 percent of the vote each.
This historic failure means that for the first time since 1945, there will not be a president from within these two parties in Vienna’s Hofburg palace.
This in turn could mean that the new president might make use of some of the considerable powers afforded to the head of state under Austria’s constitution, powers which until now have been not been used.
In theory the Austrian president can fire the government — as Hofer has threatened to do if elected — or dissolve parliament. Van der Bellen has said he would not appoint an FPOe-led government.
– A new face –
Deputy Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner, from the OeVP, will replace Faymann on an interim basis but it was unclear who would be his permanent successor.
Christian Kern, head of the national railways company, and Gerhard Zeiler, former chief of national broadcaster ORF, have been touted as possible replacements.
The party’s central committee was due to meet later on Monday but the Austria Press Agency reported that a decision on Faymann’s successor would be taken at an extraordinary party meeting on May 17.
“It would be good to have a new face, someone from outside the party,” said Karin Cvrtila from the OGM polling institute. “They need to agree a position on the main question: how to deal with the FPOe.”
This, Cvrtila said, could even be leaving open the possibility of forming a coalition with the far-right — something which could however tear the SPOe apart.
