Austria: ex-chancellor Sebastian Kurz in court for false testimony

It's the trial of the year in Austria. Conservative ex-chancellor Sebastian Kurz will appear before the Vienna court on charges of perjury from this Wednesday, October 18. The public's interest is as high as the character. Having become at the age of 31, in 2017, the youngest elected leader on the planet - he was for a time compared to French President Emmanuel Macron -, he left politics with a bang just two years ago, carried away by business.

This is the first time in more than 30 years in the Alpine country that a former head of government has had to account for his actions in court. This trial concerns only part of the charges against Sebastian Kurz. And these are the least serious compared to the corruption aspect, for which the investigation is still ongoing.

The 37-year-old defendant is accused with two other people, according to a press release from the prosecution, of having lied to Parliament, facts punishable by three years of imprisonment. The ruling is not expected until November at the earliest. In three-quarters of cases, this type of offense results in a conviction, according to statistics from the Ministry of Justice.

But what is Sebastian Kurz accused of? In 2020, he denied under oath having intervened in the appointment of a relative, Thomas Schmid, at the head of a public holding company worth billions of euros. Problem: a year later, investigators got their hands on text messages that he had exchanged in advance with the person concerned. According to the 108-page indictment, the dialogue leaves little room for doubt. In a message accompanied by affectionate emojis, Mr. Kurz wrote: “You have everything you want.” To which his protégé replied: “I’m so happy, I love my chancellor.”

In Austria, intervening in an appointment process does not constitute an offense in itself. But lying under oath before a parliamentary committee, yes. According to elements of the file reported by the press, Sebastian Kurz concealed the truth because he had promised voters to break with legal but criticized practices. He shouts it from the rooftops: he is innocent and intends to prove it during the hearings. Contacted by AFP, neither he nor his lawyer wanted to speak ahead of the trial.

Unfortunately for the ex-chancellor, his former friend has turned around. In the hope of a reduced sentence, Thomas Schmid is now cooperating with the courts and intends to testify against him. To see clearly, justice will summon at least 18 witnesses, including several political figures.

Among them, the former far-right vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, the same one who is at the heart of the resounding scandal known as “Ibizagate” from which arise the multiple affairs shaking Austria. In 2019, a hidden camera video shot on the Spanish island of Ibiza during his vacation revealed potentially fraudulent practices in the political class. Mr. Strache, forced to resign immediately, has since been acquitted in several cases.

In addition to this trial, Sebastian Kurz is suspected of having misappropriated public funds to commission rigged opinion surveys. He also allegedly placed advertising inserts in tabloids between 2016 and 2018, again paid for with public money, to ensure their laudatory coverage.

All these allegations continue to destabilize the country of 9 million inhabitants, where a feeling of “all rotten” reigns. Enough to fuel the protest vote for the far right, which has once again become the leading force in the polls, with a view to the legislative elections in fall 2024.

Sebastian Kurz, retired from political life, swears that he has no desire to run again. He is increasing lucrative international collaborations in the private sector, particularly in circles close to Donald Trump. In Israel, he launched a cybersecurity company with the former head of the NSO Group, behind the controversial Pegasus spyware.