The Austrian Chancellor tries to stay in power.
(Photo: Reuters)
Vienna In Austria, the government crisis has worsened. One can hardly imagine that the current government will survive the next few days in the current constellation. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz clings to his office, but political opponents and parts of the public are increasingly doubting his moral integrity.
Kurz tried to get back on track on Friday evening by addressing the public in a short address. As a “convinced democrat” he would resign if there were a new majority in parliament or in the conservative ruling party ÖVP. But he is still able to act and willing to lead the government.
That is exactly what the Green Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler told him shortly afterwards. In Austria one is currently seeing “a gruesome painting of morals,” said the politician. The ÖVP should propose a candidate for Chancellor who is “impeccable.” So Kogler is increasingly distancing himself from Kurz, and his latest statements actually represent the final break with the Chancellor.
The Greens, the coalition partner of the ÖVP, are in a delicate position. The fight for transparency and against corruption is one of their major concerns; they lose credibility if, as the ruling party, they suddenly cut back on these issues.
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Federal President Van der Bellen sees “the ability to act is in question”
Shortly before the Chancellor, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen spoke up. Kurz’s name was not mentioned in his brief address, but the criticism of the prevailing political limbo was very clear.
Van der Ballen also emphasized that the presumption of innocence applies to the accused. But the affair is by no means just a legal matter; rather, it is increasingly about the question of which means are still acceptable in a democracy to achieve political goals.
Van der Bellen alluded to this in his address: He said that he had different demands on political leaders. The Austrians have a right to a government capable of acting. “This ability to act is in question.”
Austria has been in a state of emergency since Wednesday. On that day, the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) raided the Federal Chancellery, the Vienna party headquarters of the ÖVP and the Ministry of Finance. The prosecutors suspect a circle around Kurz of having bought benevolent reporting from the newspaper “Austria” between 2016 and 2018.
These are said to include manipulated surveys that made Kurz look good, while his political opponent Reinhold Mitterlehner looked bad. Until 2017, Kurz was only foreign minister, only in May 2017 he became head of the ÖVP and in December then Federal Chancellor.
Probably the most serious allegations of the public prosecutors are: Thomas Schmid, the general secretary in the finance ministry, transferred money to the media group “Austria” for the publication of the surveys, thus misappropriating the state’s financial resources. According to Austrian law, that would be infidelity. Briefly – always according to the interpretation of the prosecutors – should not have been directly involved in the actions, but instigated them.
The actual water carrier is Schmid, on whose chat messages the accusations of the public prosecutors are largely based. More and more of these communications reach the public, which actually does not speak in favor of the Austrian rule of law.
At the same time, these chats support the thesis that political morality is not far off in Austria. For example, Vice Chancellor Mitterlehner wanted to put money from the bank levy in all-day schools in 2016, which would have been a success for the then government under Chancellor Christian Kern (SPÖ). “Mega explosives!” Wrote Schmid to Kurz. “Not good at all! How can you stop that,” replied Kurz. “Can I incite a federal state?” This type of political obstruction and the way it is expressed comes, shocked many in Austria.
More: The state as a self-service shop: is Austria’s Chancellor Kurz at the end?