Latest news with #AustrianPeople'sParty
Daily Maverick
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Austrian court quashes ex-chancellor Kurz's perjury conviction
An Austrian appeals court said on Monday that it had overturned conservative former chancellor Sebastian Kurz's recent perjury conviction and the resulting eight-month suspended prison sentence. The ruling removes Kurz's only criminal conviction, taking away a serious obstacle to a future political comeback for the 38-year-old, although prosecutors have yet to decide whether to charge him over potential corruption-related offences in a separate investigation that forced him from office in 2021. The court said Kurz 'was acquitted because the objective offence of giving false evidence was not fulfilled'. Kurz denies all wrongdoing. 'I have been confronted with accusations for years. There have been numerous court hearings – a huge amount of confrontation with these accusations. You have all witnessed how much this has been celebrated and that it has now all collapsed,' he said outside the court. The case centred on whether Kurz was merely kept informed of deliberations on the appointment of executives for newly created state holding company OBAG when he was chancellor, or was in fact making the decisions. The appointments were formally his finance minister's responsibility. Kurz testified to a parliamentary commission of inquiry in 2020 that he was 'involved in the sense of informed'. The judge who heard the case at first instance ruled that was not true and Kurz played an active role. 'What has come out is what I have always said, namely that I did not tell any untruths in the committee of inquiry,' Kurz said. Kurz has left the Austrian People's Party (OVP) and quit politics but some individuals within the OVP hope he will return if there is a change of party leadership, even though polling suggests the majority of Austrians do not want him to stage a comeback. Kurz led his party to election victories in 2017 and 2019 by adopting a hard line on immigration similar to that of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), which won the last parliamentary election in September. He now works as a consultant and tech entrepreneur and says he is happy in his new career. Having come second in the last election, the OVP leads the current three-party centrist coalition government headed by OVP Chancellor Christian Stocker.
San Francisco Chronicle
26-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
A court has acquitted Austrian ex-leader Sebastian Kurz of making false statements
VIENNA (AP) — A court in Vienna on Monday acquitted former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of making false statements to a parliamentary inquiry into alleged corruption in his government, reversing a verdict from last year in which Kurz was given a suspended prison sentence. A panel of judges at Vienna's upper state court acquitted Kurz after a short appeal hearing, the Austria Press Agency reported. The case centered on Kurz's testimony to an inquiry that focused on the coalition he led from 2017, when his conservative Austrian People's Party formed a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party, until its collapse in 2019. Prosecutors accused the 38-year-old of having given false evidence in June 2020 regarding his role in the setting up of a holding company, OeBAG, which administers the state's role in some companies, and the appointment of his former close confidant Thomas Schmid to its leadership. In February 2024, Kurz was found guilty of making false statements about the appointment of the company's supervisory board, though not about that of Schmid. He was given an eight-month suspended sentence.
Winnipeg Free Press
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
A court has acquitted Austrian ex-leader Sebastian Kurz of making false statements
VIENNA (AP) — A court in Vienna on Monday acquitted former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of making false statements to a parliamentary inquiry into alleged corruption in his government, reversing a verdict from last year in which Kurz was given a suspended prison sentence. A panel of judges at Vienna's upper state court acquitted Kurz after a short appeal hearing, the Austria Press Agency reported. The case centered on Kurz's testimony to an inquiry that focused on the coalition he led from 2017, when his conservative Austrian People's Party formed a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party, until its collapse in 2019. Prosecutors accused the 38-year-old of having given false evidence in June 2020 regarding his role in the setting up of a holding company, OeBAG, which administers the state's role in some companies, and the appointment of his former close confidant Thomas Schmid to its leadership. In February 2024, Kurz was found guilty of making false statements about the appointment of the company's supervisory board, though not about that of Schmid. He was given an eight-month suspended sentence.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump-wary Austrian chancellor elected as ÖVP leader
The conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) gave a landslide endorsement to Chancellor Christian Stocker as party leader at its conference in Vienna on Saturday. Receiving some 98% of the votes, the 65-year-old lawyer underscored his distance from the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) - the winner of parliamentary polls in the autumn - which, according to Stocker, has a penchant for Donald Trump. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl's role model is the US president, said Stocker. "But I am not a partner for an Austria that is 'Trumped up'," said the Chancellor in a speech that largely ignored the country's ongoing recession and massive budget deficit. Following the collapse of talks between the FPÖ and ÖVP, Stocker formed a government with the Social Democratic Party SPÖ and the liberal NEOS at the beginning of March. He had already been the party's acting leader since early January, when Karl Nehammer resigned as ÖVP leader and chancellor, citing his rejection of coalition negotiations with Kickl. Stocker, known as pragmatic and level-headed, took over the task. His rise from local to national politics came late: he entered parliament in 2019 and became Secretary General of the ÖVP three years later.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Climate Shakira' facing deportation from Austria over Just Stop Oil-style stunts
Austria is attempting to deport a high-profile German climate activist known as 'Klima [climate] Shakira' after getting fed up with her Just Stop Oil-style road-blocking protests. Anja Windl, 28, who has acquired the nickname due to her resemblance to the Colombian singer, says the Austrian authorities have mounted a legal bid to expel her from the to German newspaper Bild, Ms Windl said Austrian immigration authorities have decided her climate protests, which have included gluing herself to roads to block traffic, pose a public order threat. 'I've received the results of an evidence gathering exercise by the Austrian immigration office, which says my conduct presents a clear and present danger to public order due to a new allegation of property damage,' she said. Ms Windl has previously revealed she was summoned to the Austrian foreign ministry over her climate stunts, which have brought roads to a standstill and infuriated Austrian commuters. She has also taken part in protests against failed attempts by the Austrian People's Party [ÖVP], a centre-Right party, to form a coalition with the far-Right Freedom Party of Austria [FPÖ]. 'Because of my protests against the ÖVP-FPÖ coalition negotiations, I face deportation from Austria,' said Ms Windl, whose methods are similar to those used by British climate groups such as Just Stop Oil. Ms Windl added if the deportation proceedings continue she will launch an appeal to stop herself from being sent back to Germany. 'If I were issued with a residence ban or deportation, I would file an appeal with the federal administrative court. The fact that I have legal recourse is, just like deportation to Germany, a privilege that those seeking protection at Europe's external borders... do not have,' she added. A spokesman for Austria's government told Bild deportations of EU citizens were allowed in cases where public order or security were at risk. 'The person's conduct must present an actual, present, and significant danger that affects a fundamental interest of society,' a spokesman said. Ms Windl is a member of the German eco-activist movement Last Generation which, like Extinction Rebellion in the UK, has demanded radical climate reforms. Earlier this month, the co-founder of Just Stop Oil and five other eco-activists had their prison sentences reduced at the UK Court of Appeal. Roger Hallam and 15 of his co-conspirators were jailed for their roles in four demonstrations, which included climbing on gantries over the M25 and throwing soup over Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers. However, they challenged their sentences – which their lawyers argued were 'manifestly excessive' – at the Court of Appeal. Hallam was originally handed a record five-year sentence after a judge ruled he had 'crossed the line from concerned campaigner to fanatic' by conspiring to block traffic on the M25 in November 2022. But his sentence, which was the longest for non-violent protest in recent history, has now been reduced to four years. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
