Enlarge image
In future only dad: Austria's ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz
Photo: Lisi Niesner / REUTERS
Austria's ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has announced his retirement from politics in Vienna.
He is giving up his chairmanship of the ÖVP and his post as group leader in the National Council, the Austrian parliament.
Kurz justified the resignation with a dwindling "enthusiasm" for politics in the past weeks and months.
"Accusations and allegations have made my passion less."
Gegen Kurz is being investigated for corruption.
In mid-November, the National Council lifted the politician's immunity, clearing the way for further investigations.
Kurz now said that it was the birth of his son that moved him to say goodbye.
"For ten years I put the republic above almost everything," said Kurz, saying that he had hardly taken any time for family and private matters.
“When my own child was born, I realized how many beautiful and important things there are outside of politics.” Kurz and his partner Susanne Thier had a baby on Sunday.
Once the youngest head of government in the world
Kurz became Austrian Chancellor in 2017 - as the world's youngest head of government at the time.
In October he resigned as head of government after corruption investigators searched the Chancellery and the ÖVP headquarters, among other things.
However, he retained the office of party leader, in the Nationalrat, the Austrian parliament, he then became ÖVP parliamentary leader.
Kurz and some of his close political colleagues are suspected by the prosecutor of having circulated manipulated polls in the media.
Public funds are said to have been diverted for this.
Among other things, the allegation of infidelity is in the room.
"I am neither a saint nor a criminal"
Kurz now again denied the allegations: He does not want to claim to have never made mistakes - "I am neither a saint nor a criminal" - but the allegations against them are false and he is looking forward to the day when this will be proven in court may be.
In politics, you have to make many decisions every day, "and you know early in the morning that there will be wrong ones".
Nevertheless, he was always there with "enormous joy in political work."
In office he had the feeling that he was being watched every day and being criticized, "you almost had the feeling that you were being hunted".
The previous Minister of the Interior, Karl Nehammer, is being acted as Kurz's successor as ÖVP boss.
Kurz wants to return the parliamentary group chairmanship to his predecessor August Wöginger.
mrc