​​Former chancellor Kurz falls from grace with electorate

A majority of the Austrian population wants former chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who resigned over corruption allegations in early October, to withdraw from politics altogether.

Around 65% of Austrians say that Kurz should leave the political stage for good, while only 27% want him to remain a prominent figure in Austrian politics, a survey by APA and ATV shows.

While Kurz resigned from his position as head of government, he still holds considerable power within his party – the conservative ÖVP – as he holds the positions of faction leader in the parliament and party leader.

New Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg has said on numerous occasions that he will work closely with Kurz. In an interview with Wiener Zeitung he also said that Kurz will be the likely lead candidate for the ÖVP in the next election.

However, with Kurz’ popularity in the polls waning, Schallenberg now has the best approval rating of all conservative politicians, with 41% of Austrians saying that they approve of his chancellorship, compared to 46% who disapprove of him.

Schallenberg also managed to surpass Kurz in popularity among conservative voters. 88% approve of him, with only 7% disapproval. Kurz has an approval rating of 71% among ÖVP voter.

(Oliver Noyan | EURACTIV.de)