Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has been acquitted of giving false testimony during a 2020 parliamentary inquiry. The Higher Regional Court in Vienna overturned his earlier conviction and suspended eight-month prison sentence after a short appeal hearing on Monday.
Kurz served as Austria’s chancellor from 2017 to 2021. He faced accusations of lying about his role in political appointments within public companies. The case involved his statements on the appointment of the supervisory board of the state holding firm ÖBAG and the selection of his former associate, Thomas Schmid, as its chief.
Prosecutors argued that Kurz had misled lawmakers by downplaying his role in these appointments. In a previous ruling, he was found guilty of providing false statements about how the board was selected. But the appeals court ruled that the evidence was not strong enough to support the original conviction. The charges have now been dropped.
This trial marked the first time in more than 30 years that a former Austrian chancellor stood trial. It also became a major political event in Austria’s recent history. The outcome now shifts attention to the possible return of Kurz to the political stage.
After the ruling, Kurz said the decision confirmed what he had claimed from the beginning. He also shared that he wants to focus on his family and personal life after years of legal troubles.
However, not all involved in the case received the same outcome. Bernhard Bonelli, Kurz’s former chief of staff, was also on trial. He was found guilty of giving misleading statements during the same inquiry. The court upheld his six-month suspended sentence. Bonelli’s conviction has raised further discussion about how senior officials handled political appointments during Kurz’s time in office.
The case was part of a wider investigation into government decisions during Kurz’s coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), which collapsed in 2019. That coalition government faced criticism over the way it managed public positions and board roles in state-run companies.
Sebastian Kurz was once seen as a rising star in European politics. At age 31, he became the world’s youngest elected leader in 2017. But his career took a turn in 2021 when he resigned due to a separate corruption investigation. Despite stepping down, he remained active within his party and continued to influence Austrian politics behind the scenes.
His political party, the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), continues to lead the government under Chancellor Christian Stocker. In the September 2024 national elections, the ÖVP came in second but still managed to form a governing coalition. Kurz’s popularity within the party base remains strong, though public trust in him has weakened.
Public reaction to the court’s decision has been mixed. Some Austrians welcomed the ruling as fair, while others questioned whether political influence affected the legal process. A recent public opinion poll suggested that nearly half of Austrians do not support Kurz returning to politics. Still, more than one-third of respondents said they would support a comeback.
The court’s ruling does not fully remove legal pressure on Kurz. He is still under investigation in separate cases involving public funds and corruption. Legal experts say this acquittal could strengthen his position, but any future return to public office will depend on the outcome of those remaining cases.
Austria’s justice system has faced increased public attention in recent years, especially as more cases involving senior officials have reached the courts. Legal analysts say that this trend shows a growing demand for political accountability. They also note that this case may set a precedent for how similar legal challenges are handled in the future.
The acquittal may open the door for Kurz to return to public life, but it remains unclear whether he will try to regain a leadership role or step back permanently. Political observers are watching closely to see what move he makes next.