“Kurz gives no power”: In Austria, the former president is the strongest man in the country

To quickly return to the light, he chose the shade. Sebastian Kurs resigned as head of the Austrian government on Sunday, October 10, after being targeted by an investigation into corruption and threatened with reprisals. But Pamela Rendi-Wagner, leader of the Social Democratic Opposition (SPÖ), is a “Phantom Chancellor” even if she summarizes it bitterly. Because, at the end of 2017, the youngest elected leader of the planet, only 31 years old, chose the minimum political withdrawal: he is the leader of the Conservative Party (ÖVP) and will again take his deputy seat, the chairman of his parliamentary committee. “By abandoning the Chancellor, who has some formal powers in Austria, the Viennese newspaper reports that Kurz has not relinquished any power. Standard. He is less vulnerable than before because he is only the leader of his party.

The “childish talent” of Austrian politics is therefore the country’s strongest. And intends to remain so. The new president, Alexander Shalenberg, is none other than his former foreign minister. He took office on Monday. Kurz captured the entire set of advisers who had left. For good reason: this industrial diplomat is indebted to Kurz for his political rise and coordination over the years during his European policy. 52-year-old “Shali” signed A letter With other members of the authority, last week, to confirm that “only with Sebastian Kurz will there be the participation of the Conservatives in the federal government.” He asked her to follow him after …

Because the allegations against the former president are serious. Based on the SMS exchanges, the prosecution estimates that between 2016 and 2018, “the ministry’s resources were used to fund some manipulation elections, which gave it exclusive non – political interest.” He suspects that glowing articles and opinion research in favor of Kurs were published by the Ministry of Finance against the purchase of advertising space, which is then conducted by the Tories. The investigation is in addition to false reports to the Parliamentary Committee on Corruption.

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The Green parties maintain the alliance

Sebastian Kurz can thank the Greens, the youngest partners in government for two years. Opposition groups called for the beleagured PM to resign. “They saved the alliance because they still have to pass the most important laws for balance sheets, including aid for organic farming and the introduction of taxes on carbon dioxide emissions, with direct assistance,” argues Patrick Morey, a researcher at CNRS and an expert on Austrian politics.

Sebastian Kurz and Green leader Werner Kokler in Vienna on January 1, 2020.

AFP

Environmental activists have only 10% voting intentions, four points less than their 2019 election result. For them, the time has not come to overthrow the government. “But I do not see him running until the elections scheduled for 2024. Patrick Morey notes that all parties are looking at the first round of voting after Kurz’s resignation because the ÖVP is now twelve points ahead of the Social Democrats. Not distorted, especially for his firmness in the policy of migration.

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The former president was already forced to leave in 2019 after a video showing FPÖ, the leader of the far-right party, and later his ally, monetizing his influence. Kurz did not prevent the ÖVP from improving the score and returning to the principal through the front door. An exploit he wants to do again. If the neck of justice continues to tighten.

Clement Denise