Alexander Van der Bellen‚ Austrias top official will take a short break from post-election duties due to health reasons (his office made this known on 11/02/24)
The 80-year old leader – whos been running the country since early 2017 has dealt with spine-related issues since the start of this year; his medical team noticed the problem getting worse lately. A standard back-disc procedure is now scheduled at a Vienna-based medical center
During the treatment period Karl Nehammer the nations Chancellor will step-in to handle presidential responsibilities. The temporary switch comes at a time when post-election coalition discussions need attention: “I wish the Federal President a good course of treatment and a speedy recovery“ Nehammer shared his support through a social-media post