The Austrian president's office says Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg will serve as the country’s interim leader while the far-right Freedom Party attempts to put together a new coalition government. The 55-year-old Schallenberg will take on the duties outgoing Chancellor Karl Nehammer. Nehammer announced his resignation over the weekend after his efforts to put together a coalition without the Freedom Party collapsed. Nehammer plans to step down on Friday. Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl received a mandate on Monday to try to form what would be the first national government led by the far right since World War II. That’s a process that could take weeks or months and isn’t guaranteed to succeed.
