Austria's ex-Chancellor Kurz sworn in as lawmaker

By Askin Kiyagan

VIENNA (AA) – Sebastian Kurz, who stepped down as Austria’s chancellor last week amid a corruption probe, was sworn in as a member of parliament on Thursday.

Kurz, 35, announced that he will continue as head of the Austrian People’s Party (OVP) and its parliamentary group, and vowed to support the government of his successor Alexander Schallenberg.

“I will do everything I can to dispel the false allegations against me,” he said on Facebook.

Kurz is facing an investigation over charges of “bribery, corruption, and breach of trust.”

He, along with some party associates, is accused of transferring money to a newspaper and a think tank from the Finance Ministry’s budget between 2016 and 2018.

Investigators are also probing allegations that the beneficiaries manipulated results of opinion polls in favor of Kurz and the OVP. ​​​​​​​