Austria Gets Caretaker Government Headed by Constitutional Judge

(Bloomberg) -- Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen inaugurated Constitutional Court President Brigitte Bierlein as chancellor, swearing in a stable government two weeks after a video scandal took down Sebastian Kurz’s controversial coalition with right-wing nationalists.

Bierlein, 69, will be Austria’s first female chancellor, presiding over a government of technocrats that has the backing of all parliamentary parties. In another Austrian landmark, half of her cabinet will be female. The administration is expected to remain in office until a new government is appointed after snap elections due in September.

Bierlein, who is considered close to Kurz’s People’s Party without being a member, relinquished her seat on Austria’s highest court. Her term was due to expire with her 70th birthday June 25.

The most important ministers joining Bierlein’s cabinet include:

• Vice Chancellor and Justice Minister Clemens Jabloner is a retired federal judge who’s close to the center-left Social Democrats
• Finance Minister Eduard Mueller is a top civil servant in the finance ministry and will represent Austria at euro-area meetings
• Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg is a career diplomat who most recently led the EU department in the chancellery
• Interior Minister Wolfgang Peschorn is the head of the Finanzprokuratur, the office providing legal counsel to the government

To contact the reporter on this story: Boris Groendahl in Vienna at bgroendahl@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Jonathan Tirone

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