Austria: Coalition government on brink of collapse as opposition parties seek to oust Kurz

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Pressure has been mounting on Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to resign after prosecutors initiated a probe to investigate accusations of the politician’s corruption.

Austria’s three opposition parties - the Social Democrats, far-right Freedom Party (FPO) and liberal Neos will submit no-confidence motions against Kurz on Tuesday at the parliament, a move which will likely garner the approval of Kurz’s coalition partner, The Greens.

Prosecutors raided Kurz’ offices on Wednesday morning, along with his closest advisers and the party headquarters in Vienna.

SOUNDBITES:

SOT, Herbert Kickl, Head of FPO (German): “I think it’s a good thing that the Federal President gets an overview. It’s all tangled and it is good to intervene in order. I see the task of the FPO to make a contribution. Today at the press conference, I have defined a few principles that are necessary. I am in good spirits that we are making good progress. If everyone else is very excited, then someone has to be calm. I am happy to take on this role.”

SOT, Herbert Kickl, Head of FPO (German): “The question about the cabinet of experts. We have experience with it. At that time it was argued that these are people who are free from party political influence. That, for example, there is the possibility of taking action against corruption in sensitive departments. For me, it was a big disappointment that it didn’t happen in either the justice department or the interior department. You can see what mess we are now facing. It is very necessary to do repair work. If you now set up an expert government, there will be new faces, but at the same time, the apparatus behind it that has been occupied by those who have left the department will remain. Nothing will change, corruption will hibernate there and that is not what we want.”

SOT, Herbert Kickl, Head of FPO (German): “I did what I did in the press conference today, I explained the situation to the Federal President from the perspective of the FPO. I then realised that he did not actually have the overview of the situation that I had hoped for. I would have expected more, but he can’t help it because the SPO, in particular, doesn’t deliver. I asked him whether, as party chairman, he would have tolerated a government made up of the FPO and OVP. The answer never ever. I feel quite confirmed there.”

SOT, Herbert Kickl, Head of FPO (German): “I will now have talks with the other parties. Let’s see if someone reached out yet. We’re open to having these conversations. I am curious what the head of the SPO as the second strongest party imagines.”

SOT, Herbert Kickl, Head of FPO (German): “I said, I also would like about the position of the Greens and he (the president) couldn’t tell me. Is it about the orderliness of this country, or is it about being in any government at any cost? The way they position themselves, it looks like the latter. The line of the Greens, they do not yet know whether they will approve a motion of censure. So we can’t say anything, because then we will slam the door shut to talks with the OVP without having another government in our pockets. This is less renewal than old thinking.”

#Kurz #Austria

Video ID: 20211008-042

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