AUSTRIA, May 27 (BBC) -- Austria's parliament has voted to remove Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his government from office in a special parliamentary session. His previous coalition ally, the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), backed the motions brought by the opposition Social Democrats (SPÖ).

The FPÖ had become embroiled in a political scandal caused by a secret video, which ended the coalition. Austria's president must now decide who will be chancellor. This leader will head a caretaker government ahead of elections expected in September.

 It has widely been labelled "Ibiza-gate", after the Spanish island where the video was recorded. It was secretly filmed in 2017 just weeks before the election which saw both the FPÖ and Chancellor Kurz's party perform well.

In the footage, released by German media, Freedom Party leader and vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache can be seen relaxing and drinking for hours at a villa with FPÖ parliament group leader Johann Gudenus, while they meet a woman, purported to be the niece of a Russian oligarch.

Mr Strache appears to propose offering her public contracts if she buys a large stake in the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung - and makes it support the Freedom Party.

He is heard suggesting that a number of journalists would have to be "pushed" from the newspaper, and that he wants to "build a media landscape like [Viktor] Orban" - referring to Hungary's nationalist leader. Mr Strache stood down hours after the video emerged.

President Alexander Van der Bellen then fired FPÖ Interior Minister Herbert Kickl at the request of Mr Kurz. The move prompted the FPÖ's other ministers to resign in solidarity.