Austrian vice chancellor steps down amid party infighting

FILE - In this May 10, 2016 file photo Vice Chancellor and head of the Austrian Peoples party, OEVP Reinhold Mitterlehner addresses the media during a news conference at the federal chancellery in Vienna, Austria. Mitterlehner, who is also Austria’s economy minister, announced to resign from his posts effective May 15 in a hastily arranged statement at the headquarters of his center-right Austrian People’s Party on Wednesday, May 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak, file ) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this March 27, 2017 file photo the Chairman of the Austrian Peoples party, OVP, and Vice Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner, speaks during a press conference in Munich, Germany. Mitterlehner, who is also Austria’s economy minister, announced to resign from his posts effective May 15 in a hastily arranged statement at the headquarters of his center-right Austrian People’s Party on Wednesday, May 10, 2017. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP) (The Associated Press)

Austria's vice chancellor has announced his resignation from the job, and from his post as leader of the country's junior governing party, amid persistent infighting.

Reinhold Mitterlehner, who is also Austria's economy minister, announced his decision effective May 15 in a hastily arranged statement at the headquarters of his center-right Austrian People's Party on Wednesday.

Mitterlehner's party is the junior partner in a "grand coalition" with the center-left Social Democrats of Chancellor Christian Kern.

The Austria Press Agency reported that party leaders are expected to meet over the weekend. It's not immediately clear who might replace Mitterlehner.

Austria is due to hold a parliamentary election next year. The two governing parties and the anti-immigration Freedom Party are the country's strongest.

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