Exchange of blows on ORF

Kurz: “Mr. Wolf, let’s bet it’s false!”

On Friday, former Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was found not legally guilty of making false statements in the Ibiza Investigation Committee and sentenced to eight months' conditional imprisonment. On Monday evening, the ex-ÖVP leader answered questions from ORF presenter Armin Wolf. And as expected, there was a fierce exchange of blows. 

The heated match between Kurz and Wolf was mainly about the specific wording of Kurz's statements in the parliamentary sub-committee.

Kurz to Wolf: "You are a detail-oriented person"
When Wolf presented a transcript from the parliamentary website, the former chancellor said ludicrously: "Mr. Wolf, let's bet that it's wrong!" The text had been "incorrectly copied together". Wolf countered and said coolly that he and Kurz probably had "two different" protocols. Kurz denied this. He also accused the ORF presenter of being a "person in love with detail". 

"You can't go on forever"
According to his own statement, Kurz had made an effort to describe his perceptions of the ÖBAG appointments. However, he could certainly have prepared himself better. You will "always find parts" that you can "answer in more detail, answer better", but criminal law is a harsh remedy for not answering in detail, the former chancellor defended himself.

If I were Mr. Maier, we probably wouldn't have gone to all this trouble.

Sebastian Kurz

The events had happened a long time ago, Kurz said, and he had always said "I was involved, I was asked for my opinion", but the decision to fill the position in question had been made by someone else. "You can't go on forever," Kurz said, explaining that he had stated in an older ORF interview that he had "made" an appointment instead of just being "involved".

"I congratulate you on your research"
But these were not the only moments when the two had a heated discussion. When Wolf confronted the former chancellor on the subject of credibility, for example, with the fact that he had once said in an interview in 2012 that he had falsely described a university as "graduated", Kurz replied somewhat contritely: "Then I'm sorry and I congratulate you on your research."

"Everyone is equal before the law"
Otherwise, as in previous days, Kurz was in no way remorseful in the "ZiB 2" interview. He said of the judge's ruling: "Everyone can have their opinion. Personally, I think the decision is unfair. I didn't finish my law degree, but I've learned that everyone is equal before the law," Kurz justified himself.

"If I were Mr. Maier, then ..."
He added: "My impression is that never before has there been a 100-page criminal complaint, a twelve-day trial, 30 witnesses and then a conviction because of false testimony in the U Committee." He had the impression that if he had been "Mr. Maier", he would probably not have gone to such lengths - and that is why he felt the verdict was "unjust", said the former chancellor.

Major "Krone" interview with Kurz 
Just 15 hours after the historic, non-appealable verdict, Kurz spoke to Conny Bischofberger about credibility and combativeness, Thomas Schmid and Vladimir Putin, the support of his friends and why it is "business as usual" for him until the next court hearing. You can read the whole interview here.