Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said that the bond of trust between the general public and the government had been broken during a press briefing in Vienna on Saturday, following the emergence of a corruption scandal which has forced the Vice Chancellor to resign.

"The images that have been coming out since yesterday show a disturbing picture of morality, a picture which is unjust for our people and our country. They were shameful," he said of a video which allegedly shows Heinz-Christian Strache accepting electoral support from a woman who claimed to have Russian ties in return for public contracts.

"It is an unheard of level of disrespect towards our citizens and I do not tolerate this disrespect," he said before confirming that a snap election would be held as part of a process of rebuilding the public's trust.