Austria readies for 'fierce' campaign after Kurz fall

The outlines of a stormy election campaign have begun to take shape in Austria a day after Chancellor Sebastian Kurz became the first post-war leader to be removed by a no-confidence vote.

The 32-year-old conservative, who already broke records when he emerged as the world's youngest leader in 2017, lost his post on Monday after MPs voted to oust his government in the wake of the so-called "Ibiza-gate" affair.

The scandal saw Kurz's far-right deputy Heinz-Christian Strache caught on camera appearing to offer public contracts in return for campaign help from a fake Russian backer.

Hours after the vote, Kurz addressed cheering supporters to portray himself as a figure of stability in what political analyst Thomas Hofer called an "election campaign (launch) with a clear message" ahead of a snap poll expected in September.

The expert said that while the no-confidence motion had been "inconvenient", it was by no means the end of the road for Kurz.

"He loses his stage as chancellor, but I believe he has already factored that in," Hofer told AFP.

He predicted a "very fierce electoral campaign" with Kurz's former coalition partner, the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), and the main...