Austria swears in new chancellor after Kurz steps aside

Berlin: Austria got a new chancellor on Monday, two days after former leader Sebastian Kurz resigned amid corruption allegations, but the direction of government policy was not expected to change.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen swore in Alexander Schallenberg, the former foreign minister, as chancellor. Career diplomat Michael Linhart became the country's new foreign

minister.

Schallenberg, 52, told reporters later Monday that he would do everything to refill the trenches caused by the recent government crisis and also do everything in my power to serve our beautiful country of Austria.

He also said he would continue to work closely with the conservative Kurz.

Both share a hard line on immigration.

Kurz, 35, announced Saturday that he would step aside to defuse a political crisis triggered by prosecutors' announcement that he is one of the targets of an investigation into suspected bribery and breach of trust.