Austria - February 2024

Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was found guilty of providing false statements to a parliamentary inquiry regarding alleged corruption in his first tenure in government. Vienna’s Criminal Court issued an eight-month suspended jail sentence, which Kurz has appealed. The case revolves around Kurz’s role in appointing executives to the state holding company, Österreichische Beteiligungs AG (ÖBAG), while serving as chancellor. While Kurz claimed to only be informed about the appointments, which was a responsibility of the finance minister, evidence presented in court revealed that Kurz was actively involved. Kurz resigned in 2021 amid pressure following a corruption scandal.

Update: Following his appeal, the Vienna Higher Regional Court on 26 May overturned former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s conviction for false testimony and annulled his eight-month suspended sentence. The judges ruled that the criteria for perjury had not been met. Kurz still faces other ongoing corruption investigations.

Sources: Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), MeinBezirk, Twitter (Sebastian Kurz), Reuters (1), Deutsche Welle (1), Deutsche Welle (2), British Broadcasting Company, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Die Presse