Sebastian Kurz acquitted by the Vienna Higher Regional Court: final turning point!

Sebastian Kurz acquitted by the Vienna Higher Regional Court: final turning point!

On May 26, 2025, the Vienna Higher Regional Court overturned the guilty verdict against Sebastian Kurz, the former Chancellor of the ÖVP. After months of legal disputes, Kurz was acquitted of the accusation of making false statements in the Ibiza investigative committee. How oe24 reported, the court found that the first instance guilty verdict was invalid due to invalidity.

In contrast, Kurz's ex-cabinet chief Bernhard Bonelli, who was also involved in the investigation, was sentenced to a six-month conditional prison sentence. The chronology of events shows the complexity of the case against Kurz:

Chronology of events

• 24. Juni 2020: Kurz wird im Ibiza-Untersuchungsausschuss zu seiner Rolle bei Postenbesetzungen befragt.
• 12. Mai 2021: Die WKStA leitet Ermittlungen gegen Kurz und Bonelli ein.
• 9. Oktober 2021: Kurz tritt als Kanzler zurück.
• 18. August 2023: Anklageerhebung wegen Falschaussage.
• 20. Oktober 2023: Kurz äußert seine Unschuld im Prozess.
• 23. Februar 2024: Kurz erhält ein Urteil und wird zu acht Monaten bedingter Haft verurteilt.
• 26. Mai 2025: OLG hebt den Schuldspruch auf.

The return to an almost blameless biography is of crucial importance for Kurz. In February 2022 he was convicted for his alleged false statement, which is why the renewed acquittal is seen as a significant victory. Nevertheless, the allegations against him remain as investigations into the poll affair are ongoing. Here, Kurz is suspected of misusing tax money and initiating false surveys in connection with payments to the ÖVP, which is according to reports sn.at could lead to possible charges.

What is particularly explosive is that the Ibiza affair, which marks the starting point of the investigation, is closely linked to the position decisions surrounding Thomas Schmid, the sole director of the state-owned ÖBAG. Kurz is said to have played a role in these occupations, which he minimized in the U-Committee, which led to the criminal consequences in the first place.

Lasting traces of the investigation

Despite the acquittal, numerous investigation results and allegations remain in the air. A crisis is taking place against the ÖVP as a whole, in which other politicians are also under suspicion. Finance Minister Gernot Blümel, ex-ÖBAG boss Schmid and numerous others are suspected of corruption and false statements. The New time reports on extensive investigations that are affecting the entire political structure of the ÖVP.

Finally, it remains to be seen how the political and legal developments surrounding Kurz and the ÖVP will continue to unfold. Kurz's acquittal may represent a positive turnaround in his legal proceedings, but the burden of the existing allegations and the questionable nature of the ÖVP's political actions remain on his side. The dynamics of current events suggest that the conflict is far from over.