Austrian vice chancellor steps down amid party infighting

BERLIN (AP) - 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.