But not party leader
Why the Kurz comeback still failed
1131 days after his retirement from politics, the former chancellor was supposed to return as ÖVP party leader. Everything about the secret plan of a dramatic night.
Anyone who knows Sebastian Kurz knows that he has not yet finished with politics after his inglorious departure. Ever since the former ÖVP party leader announced his final retirement on 2 December 2021 (after handing over the chancellorship to Foreign Minister Schallenberg just under two months earlier), loyal supporters have repeatedly assured him: "He still has a score to settle!" Even as a successful entrepreneur, the political fire would continue to burn.
And at the ÖVP presidium meeting on Sunday, the brilliant comeback at the top of the party was to take place after 1131 days! At least that was the secret plan pushed by some black grandees and provincial governors, including from Lower Austria's power center in St. Pölten, in hectic hours-long video conferences and phone calls into the night. The calculation behind it: Political professional Sebastian Kurz could (once again) disenchant Chancellor Herbert Kickl as Foreign Minister and Vice-Chancellor in a coalition with the Freedom Party - in order to lead the People's Party back to the top in the next elections.
He still has a score to settle.
Getreue über Kurz
There are now two versions as to why his return to politics fell through at the last moment. The one from party insiders is as follows: Kurz had already agreed to become party leader and Vice-Chancellor, but also wanted to push through his close confidante "Elli" Köstinger, former Minister of Agriculture, for a ministerial position. In addition, a survey published in the "Krone" newspaper about his popularity ratings, which did not look good for him, would have given the former chancellor cold feet and he therefore canceled after all.
He can still wait: "I'm only 38 years old"
Sebastian Kurz's entourage tells a completely different story. He would never have agreed to be number 2 under Kickl. And new elections as ÖVP leader would not have been winnable either - and here we are back to the polls. Moreover, to put it mildly, his long-term girlfriend Susanne Thier's enthusiasm for a political comeback (their son Konstantin only turned three a few weeks ago) is over. So it's better to wait for now.
Because Sebastian Kurz can wait for a possible return in peace, given his age. "I'm 38 years old," he emphasized relaxedly in a small circle after the marathon negotiations. And thus 14 years younger than his outgoing successor in the chancellor's chair, Karl Nehammer ...
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