Vienna, 18 November 2021 (dpa/MIA) - Former Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz lost his parliamentary immunity on Thursday, as legislators unanimously voted to clear the way for corruption investigations. Even Kurz and the members of his centre-right Austrian People's Party (OeVP) backed the move, which they say is necessary to clear up the charges as quickly as possible. Kurz and a close-knit group of supporters stand accused of using state money to get favourable survey results that fuelled his rise to head of the OeVP and into the chancellery. He also stands accused of making false statements before a parliamentary investigation into a different scandal involving a former coalition partner. Kurz has denied all charges against him. A series of searches on October 6 in the chancellery, OeVP headquarters and the Finance Ministry led to a series of revelations - and a push for a vote of no confidence - that prompted Kurz to step down later that month. But he remains a lawmaker and continues to be both head of the party and head of its legislative group. Kurz has enjoyed a meteoric career, taking over as foreign minister when he was just 27 and first becoming chancellor aged 31. His first term ended in 2019 regarding the so-called Ibiza affair - the one in which he stands accused of misleading a probe - in which members of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria allegedly prepared to trade government contracts for favourable media coverage.