VIENNA: Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, who is overseeing coalition talks after the country's September general election, will undergo a routine operation in the next few days, his office said.
The 80-year-old, who has been Austrian President since 2017, "has been struggling with disc problems since the beginning of the year" and "will therefore undergo a routine operation on his intervertebral discs, " his office said on social media platform X on Saturday.
His office added that Chancellor Karl Nehammer will represent Van der Bellen during his treatment and subsequent recovery, Xinhua news agency reported.
"I wish the Federal President a good course of treatment and a speedy recovery, " Nehammer wrote on X.
Last week, Van der Bellen tasked Nehammer, also leader of the People's Party, with forming a coalition government despite the Freedom Party's victory in September's parliamentary election.
The Freedom Party has not been able to find coalition partners to govern.