In a pivotal legal decision, the Higher Regional Court of Vienna has acquitted former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of charges related to making false statements to a parliamentary committee. This comes after a previous conviction in 2024, which had sentenced Kurz to an eight-month probationary sentence for purportedly misleading the parliament about his role in the controversial appointment of Thomas Schmid as the head of state holding company, ÖBAG.
The investigation emerged from inquiries into the “Ibiza” scandal, widely publicized after a covertly recorded video showed politicians from the right-wing FPÖ party negotiating corrupt deals. During the parliamentary investigation in 2019, Kurz had affirmed only being informed about the executive appointments, a statement which was initially considered a falsehood. However, judges have now determined that his response did not legally constitute a false statement under §288 of the Austrian Penal Code.
The acquittal could play a significant role in Kurz’s potential political comeback, given his withdrawal from politics in 2021 after serving as Chancellor in two separate terms between 2017 and 2021. His exit from the political scene led to a diversification of interests, including co-founding a cybersecurity company with the former head of the Israeli NSO Group, developers of the controversial Pegasus spyware.
The question remains whether the prosecution will pursue further charges against Kurz for alleged misuse of public funds for favorable media coverage and manipulated opinion polls. These allegations perpetuate lingering questions over political ethics in Austria.