A completely new style - this promise made Sebastian Kurz popular with many voters.
It should take him to the Chancellery.
But in 2016, during the phase in which Kurz promised his country a new style, something monstrous happened behind the scenes: Kurz and his followers drafted a detailed battle plan for the road to power.
The consequences can soon be felt: Sebastian Kurz, as foreign minister, intrigues against his own government.
And his closest confidants are supposedly buying flattering newspaper articles for their boss with taxpayers money - that's what chats that investigators are currently evaluating suggest.
In the “Inside Austria” podcast, SPIEGEL and “Standard” jointly examine the network that made Sebastian Kurz great.
This episode is about how the ÖVP politician first took over his party thanks to the secret plan "Project Ballhausplatz" and then moved into the Chancellery.
What is happening in Austria right now is a state affair: searches of the Austrian Chancellery, the federal headquarters of the ÖVP Chancellor Party, the Ministry of Finance and one of the country's most important publishing houses.
There has not been a comparable blow against the executive in Austria since the end of the Second World War.
The investigation is not only against Sebastian Kurz, but also against nine other accused, among other things because of suspicion of infidelity and aiding and abetting bribery.
In our podcast, we trace how it got to this point.
You can also find an overview of all current developments and new revelations in the Kurz affair in our new weekly newsletter “Inside Austria”.