Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg will temporarily assume the role of interim leader as the far-right Freedom Party works to form a new coalition government, according to a statement from President Alexander Van der Bellen's office on Wednesday.

Schallenberg, aged 55, will replace outgoing Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who announced his resignation over the weekend after failing to create a coalition that excluded the Freedom Party. Nehammer plans to step down on Friday, reports AP.

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The president's office confirmed that Schallenberg will be tasked with “continuing the management of the chancellery and leading the interim government.”

This marks Schallenberg's second brief tenure as Austria’s leader; he previously served as chancellor for less than two months in late 2021 after Sebastian Kurz stepped down. Following that, Schallenberg returned to his position as foreign minister when Nehammer took over.

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The far-right Freedom Party, known for its anti-immigration stance, euroscepticism, and pro-Russia leanings, emerged victorious in Austria’s parliamentary elections in September. Initially shunned by other political parties, it now holds a central role in coalition negotiations after the Austrian People’s Party, led by Nehammer, reversed its earlier refusal to collaborate with the Freedom Party and its leader, Herbert Kickl.

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On Monday, Kickl was given the mandate to attempt forming a government, which could potentially become Austria’s first far-right-led administration since World War II. However, this process is expected to take weeks or even months, with no guarantee of success. Schallenberg has made it clear that he does not intend to remain in the government if Kickl leads it.