MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Faymann resigned from both the chancellor’s office and as leader of the Social-Democratic Party (SPO) on Monday, two weeks after the party’s candidate placed fourth in the first round of the vote. Right-wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) candidate Norbert Hofer placed first. The second round projected to deliver a final blow to the SPO-OVP "grand coalition" is scheduled for May 22.
"The previous presidential election resembled an expression of dissatisfaction against the government, since the SPO and OVP gathered together around 23 percent of the votes. In accordance to the result, we need to find a new way of doing politics," the OVP spokesperson said.
Commenting on OVP chair and interim head of government Reinhold Mitterlehner’s subsequent call for a "relaunch" of the coalition, the spokesperson elaborated that the move could "include reviewing and negotiating our coalition agreement."
The latest election results would mark the first time since 1945 that an Austrian president has not been backed by either the SPO or OVP, which saw waning support for the past years.
