Kurz at krone.tv:

“If Kickl becomes chancellor, that’s democracy”

Sebastian Kurz in conversation with Gerhard Koller(Bild: krone.tv)

Former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) appeared on krone.tv (video above!) in a television studio for the first time in more than six months. He settles accounts with his critics and draws attention with a statement about FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl: If Kickl were to become chancellor, "that is democracy".

Surprisingly, Kurz did not criticize Kickl, who was one of the reasons for the end of the turquoise-blue coalition, because he did not want to leave his post as Interior Minister after the Ibiza video under pressure from the ÖVP. He stands by the coalition with the FPÖ, says Kurz. "I am proud of the coalition with the FPÖ. We had a balanced budget and did not run up any debts. I thought our line on migration was right."

Kurz evaded the question of whether Kickl was "right-wing extremist". "I don't make any attributions. I would like to see a little more respect for different opinions. There is no proper discourse anymore." But this is part of democracy.

The first TV appearance after many months with Gerhard Koller in the krone.tv studio(Bild: krone.tv)

"We are now in a system where the aim of questioning in the committee of inquiry is not to find out something, but to implicate the witness in false testimony." Politics is now characterized by constant attempts to criminalize others. In other words: "If you like the election result, it's democracy and if you don't, it's populism," Kurz said.

Kurz is looking forward to next week's expected verdict in the trial over a false statement with a relaxed attitude. All members of the supervisory board had testified in his favor that they had not been influenced in the election of Thomas Schmid as ÖBAG CEO. The fact that Schmid is incriminating him is understandable, but not tenable.

The former friends no longer have anything to say to each other.(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

He feels it is unfair that he has to justify himself in court because of semantic quibbles. "It was the beginning of the pandemic. I hadn't prepared myself well, I could have done better. But I know the setting of committees of inquiry with the heckling, interruptions and insinuations."

The former chancellor has not lost his political interest despite his irreconcilable departure from politics. Kurz still likes to talk about world politics. He says of the war in Ukraine. "We are not moving towards a third world war. But there will be no winner because Russia is a nuclear power." A solution is needed at the negotiating table. "The sooner this is found, the sooner the mutual killing will end."