By EUDO CITIZENSHIP coordinator Rainer Bauböck

On 2 August 2011 Uwe Scheuch, head of the Carinthia Freedom Party, was condemned to 18 months prison, 12 months of which on suspended sentence, for offering a Russian investor Austrian citizenship as a reward for a major investment in Carinthia and separate payment to the party coffers. In a telephone conversation, Scheuch, who is also a member of the provincial government, referred to Austrian citizenship as “part of the game”. His lawyer appealed against the sentence, a decision by the higher court is expected for 2012. If confirmed, the sentence would mean an automatic loss of public office for attempted soliciting of a bribe.

Artice 10 (6) of the Austrian nationality law contains a constitutional provision according to which the requirements for ordinary naturalisation

“…shall not apply if the Federal Government confirms that the granting of nationality is in the particular interests of the Republic by reason of the alien’s actual or expected outstanding achievements.” This provision has been used by provincial authorities to propose to the Federal Ministry of Interior the granting of Austrian citizenship to famous artists, sports people or major investors.

Read a background report in Der Standard (in German language)

Read an op-ed commentary by Rainer Bauböck published in Der Standard on 10 August 2011 (in German)