Press reviews
Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz faces serious allegations of corruption. But he is not thinking of resigning. The scandal is a hit for the national press.
Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz wants to remain in office despite the public prosecutor’s investigation into corruption. This was confirmed by the head of government on Wednesday evening on the ORF news program “ZiB2”. There is no indication that he is personally involved in commissioning opinion polls that are favorable for him or in placing advertisements.
The Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKSTA) had the Chancellery, the Ministry of Finance and the ÖVP headquarters searched on Wednesday. The public prosecutor’s office is investigating Kurz and some of his close confidants on suspicion of breach of trust, bribery and corruption. The team around the 35-year-old head of government is said to have bought positive reporting in a tabloid medium with tax money since 2016 in order to pave the way from Kurz to the party leadership and the Chancellery.
The news of the searches hit Austria like a bomb. An overview of the press reviews.
“The standard”: “The Federal Chancellery operation was briefly organized like a general staff. We knew that. He is extremely power-conscious, one can only speculate about the degree of unscrupulousness. He and his team, which consists of loyal friends and devoted employees, have left nothing to chance. They are in their plan to hoist Kurz into the Chancellery, they apparently went beyond the limits, possibly also through those drawn by the criminal code. (…) It is bitter that some media, which actually have a control function, play a part here. (… ) That cannot and must not go through. The public prosecutor’s office must now substantiate their thesis and prepare an indictment. And that may not be all. In view of what is already known, Sebastian Kurz has to think about when he will draw conclusions. “
“Wiener Zeitung”: “In addition to the political culture, independent journalism is at stake. After all, there are suspicions of hidden cash flows for benevolent reporting. This mix is one of the worst poisons for the credibility of media and journalists. (…) There are only two antidotes: the strengthening of independent journalism and the structures required for this, as well as the will and ability of the citizens to differentiate between such journalism and its worst opponent, compliant reporting. “
“Kronen Zeitung”: Will October 6, 2021 go down in history like May 17, 2019? Back then, the Ibiza video shook the republic. Now there were house searches in the Federal Chancellery and in the ÖVP headquarters. With unpredictable consequences. (…) What the investigators will find on the seized cell phones and whether they were able to secure evidence will become clear at some point. In any case, corruption investigations have been conducted against ÖVP boss Sebastian Kurz since Wednesday. This puts the well-known chats in a whole new light. So far it’s been embarrassing, but now it’s getting serious.
“The press”: “We flash back – to the times of the Mitterlehner-ÖVP: The ÖVP was down in the polls, you didn’t need any fanciful ones. Sebastian Kurz and his satellite prepared to wear down the ÖVP boss Reinhold Mitterlehner, who could hardly be placed by voters , then to fall. How the group around Sebastian Kurz did it, could now become the Ibiza of the ÖVP, earlier one would have said Waterloo about it. “
“Delivery man”: “It is the presumption of innocence. But not much more. Anyone who reads the 104-page order for the house search in the Chancellery, in the ÖVP and in the Ministry of Finance will be amazed. A system was invented how to do surveys with bogus bills and fake studies in order to push money into the cash register on a tabloid so that it can also print the whole thing. If the accusations of the corruption prosecutors are correct, it is a question of breach of trust and bribery. Crimes that carry long prison sentences. “
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