In May 2019, following the Ibiza affair, vice chancellor and Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache and his deputy, Johann Gudenus, both resigned from all of their offices.

[2] However, Kurz petitioned Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen to additionally remove the controversial[3][4][5] FPÖ Minister of the Interior, Herbert Kickl, from office.

[6][7] As a result, the Kurz I government was no longer supported by a majority of the members of the National Council, and was removed in republican Austria's first successful vote of no confidence.

The removal of Sebastian Kurz from office marked the first time in the history of Austria that a successful motion of no confidence was passed against an entire government at once.

President Van der Bellen was forced to appoint a new government, but there were no other feasible coalitions, and the new election date was already set for late September.