Former Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz sentenced for lies in parliament

The Austrian court today found Sebastian Kurz guilty of false statements on a parliamentary investigative committee, sealing a dramatic drop from the ashes for the former Unnderkind that many once viewed as the future of European conservativeism.

The court handed down an eight-month bail sentence for criminal fraud during a 2020 investigation into his government. The former cellari is likely to appeal the crime sentence, a process that could last years. Meanwhile, a political recovery for Kurz, who now works as a consultant in the private sector, is unlikely.

Kurti's success in leading the Austrian People's Party towards two command victories in 2017 and 2019 made the brilliant brand of right-wing populism that he was pioneering a model for hard central parties from Athens to Amsterdam and conservatives across Europe still try to follow his example. /Periscope.