It is a twist in the affair surrounding ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz that no one expected.
Thomas Schmid, a close confidante from Kurz's former team and a former top official in the Ministry of Finance, has made a comprehensive confession to the Corruption and Public Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) and is a heavy burden on Kurz and other people around him.
It is mainly about the so-called advertisement affair: Kurz and his people are said to have commissioned manipulated surveys in 2016 and 2017 and ensured their publication.
The surveys were paid for with tax money.
Thomas Schmid is a key figure in the scandal because the surveys were funded through his ministry.
But the former hope of the conservative People's Party had always claimed to have known nothing about the glossed-over polls.
The confession of his former confidante Thomas Schmid now sheds a different light on it.
Kurz not only knew about the surveys, but ordered them myself.
Schmid also incriminated other people close to the ex-chancellor, including ÖVP politicians who still hold positions of responsibility today.
What threatens ex-Chancellor Kurz?
Sebastian Kurz still denies all allegations against him and claims that Thomas Schmid only wanted to save his own skin with his confession.
But the statements of the former insider weigh heavily and corroborate the picture of a system of intrigues, manipulations and abuse of power through which Sebastian Kurz came to power.
What now threatens the ex-chancellor and what do the latest revelations mean for the Austrian government?
We deal with these questions in this episode of »Inside Austria«.
We take a close look at the most important allegations against Sebastian Kurz and other people.
We ask why Schmid suddenly decided to testify before the investigators.
And we want to know what consequences the accused are now threatened with.
In the weekly podcast “Inside Austria”, SPIEGEL and STANDARD look together at the big and small scandals in Austria.
Together with journalists from both editorial offices, we reconstruct cases and events that move the country.
We look into political abysses, follow the investigations into the cause of Sebastian Kurz and his ÖVP.
And inform about an important Austrian topic of the week.
