List of political scandals in Austria

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This article provides a list of political scandals that involve officials from the government or politicians of Austria.

Contents

Mayerling incident (1889)

The apparent murder–suicide pact of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, and his lover, baroness Mary Vetsera. They were both found dead on 30 January 1889 in an imperial hunting lodge in Mayerling. The following events led to the start of the First World War. [1]

Cash for influence scandal (2011)

The European Commission’s Anti-fraud Office (OLAF) opened a formal investigation for corruption against four Members of European Parliament (MEPs), one of whom was Austrian Ernst Strasser. Strasser later resigned. [2]

Ibiza affair (2019)

A scandal involving Heinz-Christian Strache, the former vice chancellor of Austria and leader of the Freedom Party (FPÖ), and Johann Gudenus, a deputy leader of the Freedom Party. They were both secretly filmed meeting a sting operative in Ibiza in July 2017. [3]

Kurz corruption probe (2021)

Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz had his offices raided by anti-corruption prosecutors. Kurz, along with nine high-profile politicians and newspaper executives, has been accused of embezzlement and bribery. [4]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heinz-Christian Strache</span> Austrian Freedom Party politician

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernst Strasser</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebastian Kurz</span> Chancellor of Austria (2017–2019, 2020–2021)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Austrian legislative election</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Kurz government</span> Government of Austria from 2017 to 2019

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolfgang Brandstetter</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Werner Kogler</span> Austrian politician

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 European Parliament election in Austria</span> 2019 election of members of the European parliament for Austria

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibiza affair</span> 2019 political scandal in Austria

The Ibiza affair, also known as Ibiza-gate, was a political scandal in Austria involving Heinz-Christian Strache, the former vice chancellor of Austria and leader of the Freedom Party (FPÖ), and Johann Gudenus, a deputy leader of the Freedom Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bierlein government</span>

The Bierlein government was the 32nd Government of Austria following the collapse of the First Kurz government headed by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in the aftermath of the Ibiza affair. Sworn in on 3 June 2019, the Bierlein government was the first purely technocratic government in Austrian history, first interim government after a successful motion of no confidence in Parliament and first government headed by a female chancellor. As head of government, Brigitte Bierlein was assisted by Clemens Jabloner as vice-chancellor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Kurz government</span> Second chancellorship of Sebastian Kurz, January 2020 to October 2021

The Second Kurz government was the 33rd Government of Austria. Led by Sebastian Kurz as chancellor and Werner Kogler as vice-chancellor, it was sworn in by President Alexander Van der Bellen on 7 January 2020. It was officially dissolved and succeeded by the Schallenberg government on 11 October 2021.

Legislative elections will be held in Austria by 2024 to elect the 28th National Council, the lower house of Austria's bicameral parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team HC Strache – Alliance for Austria</span> Political party

Team HC Strache – Alliance for Austria is a political party in Austria. It was founded in December 2019 under the name The Alliance for Austria by three former members of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) led by Karl Baron. In February 2020, former FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache confirmed he would run for the DAÖ in the 2020 Viennese state election. The party subsequently promoted Strache to federal party chairman and adopted its current name. The party failed to win seats in the election.

On 6 October 2021, Austrian anti-corruption prosecutors conducted a raid on the offices of Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, the headquarters of the Austrian People's Party, and the Federal Ministry of Finance. Kurz, along with nine high-profile politicians and newspaper executives, has been accused of embezzlement and bribery. According to the prosecutors, public money has been misused to fund politically motivated and occasionally manipulated opinion polls, with the funding being conduited through advertisements in the Österreich newspaper on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Finance.

References

  1. Spitznagel, Mark (2013). The Dao of Capital: Austrian Investing in a Distorted World. John Wiley & Sons. p. 95. ISBN   9781118416679.
  2. Strasser tritt nach neuen Enthüllungen zurück, ORF, 2011-03-20.
  3. "What you need to know about Austria's 'Ibiza-gate' video". The Local. AFP. 29 May 2019.
  4. "Mehrere Razzien: Kurz werden Untreue und Beihilfe zur Bestechlichkeit vorgeworfen". DER STANDARD (in Austrian German). Retrieved 2021-10-09.