Austria’s President, Alexander Van der Bellen, who is supervising coalition talks after the country’s recent election, will undergo spinal surgery, according to a statement from his office on Saturday.
The 80-year-old, who became the head of state in 2017, has been battling with intervertebral disc problems since the beginning of the year.
“Recently, the situation has deteriorated,” Van der Bellen’s office said. “He will therefore undergo a routine operation on his intervertebral discs in Vienna in the next few days.”
“For the duration of his treatment and recovery he will be represented by Chancellor Karl Nehammer,” the president’s office further added.
Nehammer had however taken to X to post;
“I wish the Federal President a good course of treatment and a speedy recovery.”
