After the raid in the Austrian Chancellery, Chancellor Kurz has his back to the wall.
The opposition is now calling for his resignation - the coalition partner is also distancing himself.
On Wednesday, investigators in Austria searched the Chancellery and the ÖVP headquarters, among other things.
There are violent corruption allegations against Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
Now Kurz's coalition is wavering.
The opposition is seeking a vote of no confidence
(update from October 8, 7:59 a.m.).
Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz faces up to ten years imprisonment if the allegations are confirmed.
(Update from October 9, 10:45 a.m.)
This news ticker is continuously updated.
Update from October 9th, 11.00 a.m.:
According to information from several Austrian media outlets, the Austrian social democrats are ready to approach the right-wing FPÖ in preparation for a four-party coalition.
Accordingly, the self-imposed ban on cooperation at the federal level could overturn.
This is reported by the Austrian newspaper
Die Presse
on Saturday.
From SPÖ circles it is said that the common plan is to "clean up the system Kurz and bring stability and cleanliness back into the country".
In the ORF, SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner justifies the party's rethinking with the fact that "unusual situations need exceptional actions".
She herself described a coalition consisting of the SPÖ, Greens, liberal Neos and the FPÖ as "unlikely, but possible".
In this case, it is important that every minister carefully observes his or her departmental boundaries.
According to her statement, the chairman of the FPÖ, Herbert Kickl, would certainly not become health minister.
He counts as an opponent of vaccinations.
Rendi-Wagner herself is available as Chancellor.
Government crisis in Austria: SPÖ would form a coalition with right-wing FPÖ
A government crisis was triggered due to corruption investigations against Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his closest colleagues. As a coalition partner of the ÖVP, the Greens consider the head of government no longer capable of office. Kurz himself had to face a motion of no confidence in a special session of the National Council on Tuesday. He denies any allegations. However, it is now almost certain that he will be voted out. All other parliamentary parties are already in exploratory talks for alternative government constellations.
Update from October 9th, 10.45 a.m.:
According to the Viennese daily
Der Standard,
Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz faces up to ten years in prison if the offenses accused of him are proven.
The Austrian head of government is currently being investigated on suspicion of corruption and breach of trust.
The prosecution's investigations have sparked a government crisis.
Government crisis in Austria: SPÖ questions the expression of solidarity of the ÖVP towards Kurz
Update from October 9, 10 a.m.:
According to the opinion of the opposition SPÖ, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz should not rely on the previous expressions of solidarity from his party ÖVP. A party like the ÖVP, which has been in power for decades, is ready to sacrifice Kurz - even before the vote of no confidence scheduled for next Tuesday. This assessment expressed SPÖ boss Pamela Rendi-Wagner on Friday evening to the ORF news program "ZiB2".
She considers that Kurz will be dropped as the "most likely scenario".
The removal of Kurz is a prerequisite for the continuation of the current coalition between the ÖVP and the Greens.
The public prosecutor's office is investigating Kurz and some of his trusted employees.
There is suspicion of corruption and infidelity.
The investigation has sparked a government crisis.
Since the Greens, as coalition partners, consider the head of government to be no longer sustainable, they are already having exploratory talks with other parties.
Investigations against Kurz: Prime Minister denies allegations
Update from October 8, 8:00 p.m.:
Despite the government crisis in Austria, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) still sees no reason to resign. He and his party were "able to act and, above all, willing to act," said Kurz on Friday evening. He wants to do everything possible to ensure political stability. To this end, he will remain in close dialogue with Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen
(see update from October 8, 7.10 p.m.)
.
The public prosecutor's office is investigating Kurz and close members of his team on suspicion of corruption and breach of trust
(see initial report)
.
The process had sparked a government crisis.
As a coalition partner, the Greens now consider the head of government no longer capable of office and have started explorations with other parties
(see update from October 8, 11.55 a.m.).
+
Austria's Chancellor Kurz again commented on the allegations of corruption - and wants to remain in office.
© Georg Hochmuth / dpa
Austria: Federal President addresses the nation
Update from October 8, 7:10 p.m.:
During the government
crisis,
Austria’s Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen called on all parties to think first of all of the country’s wellbeing and not of their own interests.
“Austria cannot afford egoism now,” said the head of state in a short speech to the nation on Friday evening.
Without explicitly naming Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his ÖVP, he showed his displeasure with their behavior.
Accused had a right to be presumed innocent, "but the citizens of Austria also have rights, including the right to a government capable of acting," he said, referring to Kurz's refusal to resign as Chancellor
(see first report)
.
"There are serious allegations in the room," said the president.
The result is a “moral image that is not good for democracy”.
He added that he had different expectations of the behavior of politicians.
In general, the head of state emphasized: "I will watch with eagle eyes that the ability to act and the integrity of all institutions of our republic is guaranteed".
Kurz and the government in Austria: "No longer fit for office"
Update from October 8, 11.55 a.m.:
In Austria, the Greens are increasingly distancing themselves from Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. A continuation of the coalition with the ÖVP is only possible without him in view of the serious corruption allegations against Kurz. "It is very clear that someone like that is no longer capable of office," said the green parliamentary group leader Sigrid Maurer on Friday in Vienna. The ÖVP was now asked to nominate an impeccable person who could continue to run the previous government.
Green leader and Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler referred to individual critical voices from ÖVP top politicians to Kurz.
“We have to take that into account.” So far, however, Kurz has enjoyed the support of the party.
Even today, the Greens wanted to sound out the situation in talks with the other parties in order to find a way out of the government crisis.
Government crisis after raid in Austria?
Kurz's coalition is shaking - Chancellor speaks up
Update from October 8, 7.59 a.m
.: So far, the Austrian Greens have not terminated their coalition with the ÖVP under Chancellor Kurz.
You want to discuss the next steps with all other parliamentary parties on Friday to ensure “stability and clarification”.
The party leader and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler announced.
Kurz has so far
rejected
all allegations of corruption
(see initial report)
and passed the ball to the Greens.
He wanted to advance the fight against the corona pandemic and the planned CO2 tax with the Greens, said the 35-year-old on Thursday.
"If the Greens no longer want to continue this cooperation and want to look for other majorities in parliament, then that is to be accepted," he said.
Corruption allegations against Sebastian Kurz: ÖVP stands behind the Chancellor
For a majority, however, the Greens would not only need the votes of the social democratic SPÖ and the liberal Neos, but also those of the right-wing FPÖ.
The four parties are not aiming for new elections against the popular Kurz.
Next week, the Greens will have to show their colors when the opposition, as announced,
brings
a vote of no confidence against Kurz
(see first report)
in parliament.
On Thursday evening around 1000 left-wing demonstrators in front of the ÖVP headquarters in Vienna demanded the Chancellor's resignation.
Kurz currently knows his own party behind him.
+
Sebastian Kurz is severely accused after a raid.
© Herbert Neubauer / dpa
Austria: Federal Chancellor Kurz under pressure due to new corruption investigations
First report from October 7th
: Vienna - After a raid in the Chancellery and the ÖVP headquarters, accusations of corruption and calls for resignation against Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz are increasing.
He is now with his back to the wall: He could even face a possible vote of no confidence.
While the other parties increase the pressure on Kurz, the Chancellor tries to defend himself.
Austria's Chancellor Kurz defends himself after a raid in the Chancellery
On Wednesday (October 6th) investigators in the Chancellery, in the ÖVP headquarters, in the Ministry of Finance and in a media company secured data carriers, servers, cell phones and laptops. Kurz and his team are accused of paying an Austrian media company for fancy surveys with more than one million euros from tax revenues. Both Kurz and the media company vehemently deny the allegations. The public prosecutor sees Kurz as "the central person", as it is called in the search order.
In the ORF news program “ZiB2”, Kurz said on Wednesday that he was “relaxed” about the investigation.
The Chancellor acquitted himself of the allegations: "I am convinced that these allegations will soon turn out to be false." In a statement on Thursday (October 7th), Kurz said that he would oppose the allegations with all the rule of law and the democratic means at his disposal.
"I hope that we continue to have stable conditions in our country." Should the Greens seek other majorities in parliament, this should be accepted.
The ÖVP is ready to continue the cooperation, said Kurz.
After raid in the Chancellery: Opposition for a vote of no confidence - Greens doubt Kurz's ability to act
The coalition partner sees it differently: "We cannot go back to the agenda, the
Chancellor's
ability to act
is questioned against this background," said Green Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler in a statement on Thursday. If Kurz does not resign, the opposition parties announced a vote of no confidence in parliament for Tuesday (October 12). "He can no longer carry out this function and this office without harming it, without harming Austria," said the head of the social democratic SPÖ, Pamela Rendi-Wagner. The heads of the liberal Neos and the right-wing FPÖ expressed themselves similarly. However, the opposition parties did not call for a new election. The SPÖ started an online petition on Thursday under the name "Stop short".
In order to vote Kurz out of office, the opposition would need votes from the Greens, who govern with the ÖVP.
Green party leader Kogler did not mention this option in a statement, but he announced talks with all parliamentary parties.
"We have to work together to ensure stability and clarification, and that is why I would like to advise on how to proceed across parties," he said.
A vice-parliamentary group leader of the Greens, Olga Voglauer, indirectly brought Kurz's withdrawal into play as a step towards the continuation of the government.
"We have a coalition with the ÖVP, not with Sebastian Kurz," she said.
Backing from the ÖVP: government only with a short time or not at all
At least from its own ranks, Kurz still receives support: On Thursday, the heads of the ÖVP organizations from all nine federal states backed Kurz: “We (...) assume that the criminally relevant allegations will and will turn out to be false clear up ". In the current situation in particular, it is crucial for the country to continue to have a stable federal government headed by Chancellor Kurz.
As they
told
the Austrian
Kronen Zeitung
, Kurz emerged as the clear winner in both 2017 and 2019 and is therefore “the democratically legitimized Federal Chancellor”. The conservative ministers made it clear that they do not want a government without Kurz: the party will only participate in a government with Kurz at the top.
After a possible false statement about the "Ibzia affair", the raid by the Chancellery is already the second possible scandal involving Sebastian Kurz.
There are different scenarios for how things could go on in the Alpine republic.
After a successful motion of no confidence in parliament, it would be the Federal President's turn.
The head of state could appoint a new Federal Chancellor.
New elections do not necessarily have to take place.
(sf / dpa)
List of rubric lists: © Georg Hochmuth / dpa