Latest news with #People'sParty
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Far-right lawmaker Wilders pulls his party out of ruling Dutch coalition in dispute over migration
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders pulled his party out of the ruling four-party Dutch coalition Tuesday in dispute over a crackdown on migration, sparking a political crisis and possibly the end of the 11-month-old government of Prime Minister Dick Schoof. Wilders announced his decision in a message on X after a brief meeting in parliament of leaders of the four parties that make up the fractious administration. The government crisis comes just three weeks before the Netherlands is scheduled to host a summit of NATO leaders in The Hague. Dilan Yesilgöz, leader of the right-wing People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, said before the meeting that Schoof urged the leaders to act responsibly. 'The Prime Minister who appealed to us this morning said that we are facing enormous international challenges, we have a war on our continent, an economic crisis may be coming our way,' Yesilgöz told reporters in parliament. But just minutes later, the meeting was over and so was Wilders' involvement in the government. 'I'm shocked,' Yesilgöz said, calling Wilders' decision 'super-irresponsible.' After years in opposition, Wilders' party won the last election on pledges to slash migration. He has grown increasingly frustrated at what he sees as the slow pace of the coalition's efforts to implement his plans. Last week, Wilders demanded coalition partners sign on to a 10-point plan that aims to radically slash migration, including using the army to guard land borders and turning away all asylum-seekers. He said that if immigration policy is not toughened up, his party 'is out of the Cabinet.'
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First Post
26-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Austrian court overturns former Chancellor Kurz's suspended sentence, acquits him of false statements
Judges at Vienna's upper state court threw out Kurz's conviction after a short appeal hearing. The court found that 'the objective offense of giving false evidence was not fulfilled' read more 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. Judges at Vienna's upper state court threw out Kurz's conviction after a short appeal hearing. The court found that 'the objective offense of giving false evidence was not fulfilled.' 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. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 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 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. That verdict followed a four-month trial. It was the first time in more than 30 years that a former Austrian chancellor had stood trial. 'What came out is what I have always said — namely, that I did not tell untruths to the parliamentary inquiry,' Kurz said in a brief statement to reporters outside the courtroom after Monday's decision. 'I now have a long time in (legal) proceedings behind me, and to be honest I'd like to set out my position in detail, but I ask for your understanding that I'm going home to family and my two children first," Kurz added. Judges on Monday upheld the conviction and six-month suspended sentence of Kurz's former chief of staff, Bernhard Bonelli, for making a false statement to the parliamentary inquiry about his own involvement and that of Kurz in the selection of OeBAG supervisory board members. Kurz said he deeply regrets the decision on Bonelli. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Once a rising star among conservatives in Europe, Kurz resigned in 2021 after a separate corruption probe opened and has since left politics. His People's Party still leads the government under current Chancellor Christian Stocker, although it finished second in an election in September. Kurz rose to power with an anti-immigration platform and was only 31 when he became the leader of the People's Party and then chancellor in 2017. He pulled the plug on his first government after a video surfaced that showed the vice chancellor and Freedom Party leader at the time, Heinz-Christian Strache, appearing to offer favors to a purported Russian investor. Kurz returned to power in a new coalition with the environmentalist Greens in early 2020, but resigned in October 2021. The Greens had demanded his replacement after prosecutors announced that he was a target of a second investigation into suspected bribery and breach of trust. Kurz also denied any wrongdoing in that case. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There has been periodic speculation about the possibility of Kurz making a political comeback.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Austria's ex-chancellor has conviction quashed
Austria's former chancellor Sebastian Kurz has won his appeal against a conviction for giving false testimony to a parliamentary committee. The court's ruling overturns last year's judgement and eight-month suspended prison sentence for the former political star. Once hailed a wunderkind of Europe's conservatives, the 38-year-old resigned as chancellor in 2021 and quit politics amid a series of allegations. Monday's acquittal removes a key obstacle to a potential political comeback, but he still faces investigation on separate corruption allegations. Last year, Kurz was found guilty of perjury for giving false testimony to a parliamentary committee. The case against him centred over allegations that he had been involved in the selection of executives on a newly-created state holding company when he was chancellor, as opposed to being merely kept informed. Kurz told a parliamentary probe in 2020 that he was "involved in the sense of informed". But the first trial judge deemed that declaration false and ruled that Kurz had played a more active role. However in his appeal Kurz argued that the judge who had convicted him was biased. The appeal bench of three judges ruled in his favour on Monday, reading out in their judgement that Kurz "was acquitted because the objective offence of giving false evidence was not fulfilled". Speaking to reporters outside court on Monday, Kurz said the years of accusations against him had "now all collapsed". "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. He has also denied wrongdoing on the corruption allegations for which he is being investigated. Prosecutors are yet to decide whether to charge him over the allegations that he used public money to pay for favourable media coverage and to fund polls which exaggerated support for him. Kurz has not publicly voiced an intention to return to politics yet. Since quitting in 2021, he has been involved in several business ventures including the high-profile Dream cybsersecurity company, which he co-founded in 2023 with partners including the former boss of Israel's NSO firm that developed the controversial Pegasus spyware product. Kurz had previously headed the conservative Austrian's People's Party, leading the party to victories in 2017 and 2019 on a hardline immigration stance. The People's Party is still in charge in Austria after it managed to form a three-party coalition with the Social Democrats and a liberal party after elections last August. However that vote was won by the far-right Freedom Party, who seized on voter frustrations on the economy and migration. Despite topping parliamentary elections for the first time, they failed to form government.
26-05-2025
- Politics
A court acquits former Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz of making false statements
VIENNA -- 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. Judges at Vienna's upper state court threw out Kurz's conviction 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 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. That verdict followed a four-month trial. It was the first time in more than 30 years that a former Austrian chancellor had stood trial. 'What came out is what I have always said — namely, that I did not tell untruths to the parliamentary inquiry,' Kurz said in a brief statement to reporters outside the courtroom after Monday's decision. 'I now have a long time in (legal) proceedings behind me, and to be honest I'd like to set out my position in detail, but I ask for your understanding that I'm going home to family and my two children first," Kurz added. Judges on Monday upheld the conviction of Kurz's former chief of staff, Bernhard Bonelli, for making a false statement to the parliamentary inquiry about his own involvement and that of Kurz in the selection of OeBAG supervisory board members. He was given a six-month suspended sentence last year. Kurz said he deeply regrets the decision on Bonelli. Once a rising star among conservatives in Europe, Kurz resigned in 2021 after a separate corruption probe opened and has since left politics. His People's Party still leads the government under current Chancellor Christian Stocker, although it finished second in an election in September. Kurz rose to power with an anti-immigration platform and was only 31 when he became the leader of the People's Party and then chancellor in 2017. He pulled the plug on his first government after a video surfaced that showed the vice chancellor and Freedom Party leader at the time, Heinz-Christian Strache, appearing to offer favors to a purported Russian investor. Kurz returned to power in a new coalition with the environmentalist Greens in early 2020, but resigned in October 2021. The Greens had demanded his replacement after prosecutors announced that he was a target of a second investigation into suspected bribery and breach of trust. Kurz also denied any wrongdoing in that case. There has been periodic speculation about the possibility of Kurz making a political comeback.
DW
26-05-2025
- Politics
- DW
Austria: Ex-Chancellor Kurz acquitted of perjury conviction – DW – 05/26/2025
An Austrian court has overturned an eight-month suspended jail sentence former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz had received after being found guilty of giving false testimony. with AFP and dpa Saim Dušan Inayatullah with AFP and dpa Saim Dušan Inayatullah with AFP and dpa An Austrian court on Monday overturned former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's conviction for giving false testimony to a parliamentary inquiry. "Sebastian Kurz... is acquitted," a three-member panel of judges said. Kurz was once a rising star among European conservatives and twice headed a governing coalition in Austria. Kurz resigned as chancellor in 2021. He had headed the conservative People's Party (ÖVP), governing in coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) from 2017-2019 and later with the environmentalist Greens from 2020-2021. More to come...
