2023-10-19 08:16:07
VIENNA. „Sebastian Kurz, the youngest Austrian to move into the Chancellery building in Vienna’s Ballhausplatz and the youngest Austrian to have to move again, cannot get out of „Chancellor mode“. “Even when he has to appear before the judge as a defendant, as he did for the first time yesterday,” analyzed Krone Newspaper’s experienced domestic policy commentator. Ida Metzker´in The analysis from the court attracted attention.
Prime Minister Kurz’s failure to escape from the Austrian Prosecutor’s Office due to making false statements to the parliamentary investigation and investigation board became the first agenda item in Austria. Once a Chancellor… always a Chancellor: It was noteworthy that former Prime Minister Kurz was criticized by Journalist Ida Metzker for showing off in front of the press in the court where he was tried on charges of false statements.
“Krone” Internal Affairs Politician Ida Metzger, one of the trial observers at the Vienna District Court, points out that normally defendants “pass dozens of journalists and cameras quickly and preferably without being recognized.” “It is considered taboo,” he commented and wrote: “Sebastian Kurz acts differently. The former ÖVP prime minister immediately turned the scenario into a “door step” in front of the Grand Jury to make his first statement. “Two years after his resignation, Kurz still acts according to the rules of a politician.”
Kurz has to convince Judge Michael Radasztics
Metzker concluded his harsh criticism by writing that former Prime Minister Kurz still “maintains the style and mood of message control that led to the collapse of the ÖVP-FPÖ government he founded, directing the message of the message and trying to convince the public of his own arguments”: “Kurz should now abandon his chancellor, or prime minister, mode. Because he no longer has to convince voters of his point of view, he only has to convince one person: Judge Michael Radasztics. Even as an accused private citizen, Kurz never loses sight of the larger public. Thus, once again, Kurz fuels the assumption that he has a natural desire to return to politics.“
The Austrian Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) prepared a 108-page indictment against former Prime Minister and ÖVP leader Sebastian Kurz, alleging that he “made false statements at the Ibiza U Committee”. According to the statement, former Prime Minister Kurz, former Chief of Cabinet Berhard Bonelli and former ÖVP party deputy chairman Bettina Glatz-Kremsner, who was General Director of Casinos Austria and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Austrian Lotteries until March 2022, are being tried at the Vienna Regional Criminal Court. “for giving false testimony” A lawsuit was filed. Kurz began his trial at the Vienna Regional Criminal Court on October 18. The hearing is planned to last three days and the verdicts will be given on October 23.
“False pretenses” At the core of the accusations lies the question of how heavily involved the former chairman of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) was in the process of transforming the state holding ÖBIB into ÖBAG under the ÖVP-FPÖ. During his questioning at the Ibiza U Committee in June 2020, Kurz downplayed his role in the selection of the supervisory board and the controversial appointment of his confidant Thomas Schmid as head of ÖBAG and talked about normal procedures. However, WKStA noted that Kurz’s statements were unlikely given their chat history. “false pretenses” He concluded that it was.
Criticism from Kurz to the prosecutor’s office: “The accusations are unfounded, the truth will surely come out”
Kurz wrote that at the time the indictment was being prepared, he was informed about his upcoming indictment by “several journalists” on X, formerly known as Twitter. Once again criticizing the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA), Kurz stated that he was not surprised that the WKStA decided to file a criminal complaint “despite the exculpatory testimony of 30 witnesses”. Kurz, „However, it is noteworthy and not unquestionable from the point of view of the rule of law that the media is once again informed of the status of the proceedings before the persons concerned.” He criticized.
Kurz said that the accusations against him were not true. “We look forward to the truth finally coming out and the accusations being proven false in court.” said.
Former Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz resigned from his post in October 2021, following intense pressure and harsh criticism against him following corruption allegations and disclosed correspondence.
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