The mayor of Austria’s third-largest city, Linz, has stepped down after admitting that he helped his preferred candidate in preparing for an interview for a high-profile cultural role in the city.

Klaus Luger resigned from his political positions within the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) before handing in his resignation as mayor on Friday. Luger had served as Linz Mayor for 11 years.

Speaking at a press conference at the Town Hall, Luger declared that it would be his “last press conference as Linz Mayor,” expressing deep regret for his actions.

“I am frustrated with myself for failing to maintain the standards I set for both myself and my staff in this particular instance. However, what’s done cannot simply be undone,” he said.

Allegations first surfaced in March, suggesting that Dietmar Kerschbaum had been provided with interview questions ahead of his 2017 interview for the role of artistic director at Liva, a city-run event company, and director of the Brucknerhaus concert hall.

The revelation, along with unrelated accusations of “serious misconduct” and self-serving practices, led to Kerschbaum’s dismissal last month.

Earlier this week, Luger admitted to passing “general questions” to Kerschbaum ahead of the interview. In addition to stepping down as mayor, Luger also quit his role as chairman of Liva’s supervisory board.

The SPÖ has welcomed Luger’s decision.

“Luger has followed my advice, stepping down from the position of mayor and his party roles. It was the only appropriate course of action,” SPÖ leader Andreas Babler commented.

Deputy Mayor Karin Hörzing, also from the SPÖ, will assume the mayoral duties until preparations for an election are made. Linz’s current Urban Planning Councillor, Dietmar Prammer, is expected to be the SPÖ’s primary candidate.

Meanwhile, the ÖVP is set to put forward its Deputy Mayor, Martin Hajart, for the mayoral race, while the FPÖ will nominate Councillor Michael Raml, and the Greens have selected Councillor Eva Schobesberger as their candidate.