Grasser competes in prison: the Buwog scandal reaches a high point!

Grasser competes in prison: the Buwog scandal reaches a high point!

On June 2, 2025, the former Austrian finance minister Karl-Heinz Grasser competed in his four-year prison sentence in connection with the Buwog affair. Grasser appeared on Monday shortly before 1 p.m. in the Innsbruck judge after the request for the start of prison had already been sent to him in early May. At that time, luxury apartments and speculative real estate sales were the focus of the investigation that finally led to his conviction.

Grasser was sentenced to four years in the Buwog process in December 2020. The judgment became final in March 2023. Despite numerous speculations about the exact time of his detention, this was generally expected for this week. The media spokesman for the judiciary referred to data protection reasons, which is why no further information about Grasser could be published.

Details on the in prison

The cargo, which Grasser asked for a punishment, was delivered to his defender on May 7. According to the legal provisions, Grasser had a month to find out in the judiciary. This means that the deadline expired at the beginning of June, which made today's prison necessary. According to reports, the exact time for the start of prison was initially unknown, but the arrival in prison was eagerly awaited both by the media and the public.

The BUWOG affair has regularly dominated the headlines in recent years and throws a bright light on the problems of political corruption in Austria. In the context of this discussion are the latest developments in the Austrian judiciary, which are discussed by the Kreutner report.

The challenges in the Austrian judicial system

The Kreutner report, which deals with the rule of law in Austria, shows serious institutional weaknesses in the judicial system. Especially after the "Ibiza affair" in May 2019 and the tragic death of the former high-ranking judicial officer Christian Pilnacek, questions about political corruption and the influence of political instructions in criminal investigations have become sound. Pilnacek had denounced political pressure on the public prosecutor's office in chat news, which resulted in an investigation commission by Justice Minister Alma Zadic.

The Commission, which was led by Martin Kreutner, found in her final report on July 15, 2024 that there was a "two-class" judiciary. This means that prominent accused people are usually treated differently than normal citizens. The results of the report require a reform of the judicial system and strengthening the independence of the public prosecutor's office in order to meet the requirements of the European rule of law.

The report also refers to the need to improve the interlinking between national and European judiciary. A creation of an individual lawsuit in front of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the reform of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) are considered urgent. In view of these developments, the current events of Grasser and the Buwog affair continue to overlap the political discussion in Austria.