Book with Bischofberger – Six things you didn’t know about Kurz

It is not the first book about Sebastian Kurz, but the first to be written in I-form. Together with “Krone” journalist Conny Bischofberger, Kurz looks back on his very eventful life so far. In the book “Let’s Talk About Politics”, which will be in bookstores on Saturday, he is working on his political career.

Controlled and without self-reflection
He does it in the usual style – controlled and without much self-reflection. His contribution to the heated political climate in the country is not highlighted. The Beinschab affair, which cost him his political career, is not discussed in the book. There are also legal reasons for this. Kurz has not yet testified before the prosecution, so he will not prejudge his perception of the sensitive cause in the book.

From the rumors that he is gay to the advice of Niki Lauda. Six details from the ex-chancellor’s lifethat you didn’t know yet.

• In 2017, when everyone assumed that Sebastian Kurz would lead the weakening ÖVP as the top candidate in the elections, he was Advice from Niki Lauda. Conversations take place over breakfast in Café Imperial. Lauda asks, “How high is the risk?” He estimates the risk of losing to Kern at 30 percent. Lauda says, “The chance of winning is seventy percent. Clear. Do it!”

• The political ideology of the politician Sebastian Kurz is characterized by a strong Aversion to social democracy in particular. Kurz writes in the book that the first contacts between the SPÖ and the FPÖ took place on the evening of the 2017 elections. He meets SPÖ leader Christian Kern for coffee, the inevitable question arises. “But, Christian, could you even imagine being my vice-chancellor?” His response was very muted to say the least. From then on he was silent and it was clear that this option was not an option for him.”

• At the height of the refugee crisis in 2015, Kurz changed his political orientation, took a confrontational course on welcome policies, and was soon seen as conservative with his restrictive migration policies. Countermodel of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. At the time, he was warned by the president and co-founder of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, Demetrios Papademetriou. Escape and eviction also play a big part in his family history. The grandmother of the ex-chancellor is a Swabian from present-day Serbia and fled to Austria during the war. “I spoke with migration expert Papademetriou. I asked him, “What’s going on?” He said: ‘A new migration of peoples is underway.’ I asked him, “How many want to come?” Him: ‘Sixty million.’ I asked, “And how many will come?” His answer: ‘If you don’t do anything, everyone.’”

• Die Ibiza affair led to the end of the turquoise-blue coalition in 2019. Kurz is still thinking about it to this day. “I kept asking myself, was the decision to end the coalition the right one? To this day I don’t know how it would have turned out if we had made different decisions back then.”

• Kurz speaks of “total personal contempt” in election campaign, comments on rumor for the first time he is gay. “It’s probably no coincidence that at the time there was a rumor that I was gay and afraid to come out. Neither one nor the other is true. Neither should be problematic in the 21st century. Nevertheless, spread it over the years – often by all those who fly the banner of tolerance.”

• The ex-chancellor also largely protects his private life in the book. Partner Susanne ThierKurz, with whom Kurz has been together since college, only came to the chancellor’s office once during his entire tenure. “At first I thought something terrible must have happened, at least something very important, because Sudanne was suddenly in my office. Thank goodness it just confirmed it was very important because she just laughed. It was just joy, which I also felt right away.”

Sebastian Kurz does not want to return to politics.