Austrian finance minister has cancer, plans to keep working

VIENNA, July 13 (Reuters) - ‌Austrian Finance Minister ​Markus ​Marterbauer has cancer and will undergo treatment for the next three months while remaining ‌in office and continuing to work, he said ⁠in a statement issued by his ministry on Monday.

Marterbauer, a 61-year-old ‌economist brought into government ‌by the Social Democrats, is the most popular minister in the ruling three-party coalition led by the ​conservative People's Party, opinion polls show.

He has been the calm face of difficult efforts to bring the ⁠country's budget deficit back within the European Union's limit of 3% of ​economic output, while his and the other ruling parties have continued to lose ground to ​the far-right Freedom Party.

"I have ‌been diagnosed with lymphoma. An illness that now has very good chances of recovery, ⁠thanks to extensive research and the good Austrian healthcare system. However, it is important that I start appropriate treatment immediately," ⁠Marterbauer said.

"The treatment sessions will be additional appointments in my official ​calendar and will therefore occasionally result in the rescheduling of some appointments. However, the treatment will be planned in such a ‌way that I will be able to fully fulfill my duties and responsibilities," ‌he said.

The statement did not say what type of ⁠lymphoma Marterbauer has been ‌diagnosed with or what ​treatment he would undergo, and a spokesperson declined to elaborate.

(Reporting by Francois MurphyEditing by Peter ‌Graff)

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