Söder files another criminal complaint against Austrian populism – Bavaria

The Bavarian State Chancellor, Markus Söder (CSU), has filed a criminal complaint against Austrian right-wing populist Gerald Gross. The investigation is being conducted by the Munich public prosecutor's office, the authority confirmed.

“I'll add another 36,000 euros and say again that he's the biggest idiot I've ever met in my entire life,” Gross, a former politician close to the AfD, said of Söder on Austrian television in 2023.

Gross had already insulted Söder when he was a guest at the AfD's Ash Wednesday political rally in Lower Bavaria in early 2023, referring to the Bavarian premier as “Sudolph”, among other things. The Deggendorf district court therefore ordered Gross to pay nearly 15,000 euros in damages. Gross had previously been issued a penalty of 36,000 euros, which he appealed. He has also appealed the court ruling, according to the public prosecutor's office. The date of this hearing is not yet known.

Gross is expected to be the guest of the AfD in Lower Bavaria again on Monday at the political morning party at the Gillamus folk festival. The criminal complaint was filed a few days after the plans for the new look were announced. “This reeks of premature obedience or even instructions and unauthorized influence on the judiciary,” Gross said in a statement.

Gross assumes that his statement falls within the right to freedom of expression in political speech. When it comes to criticizing authority, politicians have to be prepared to accept more than individuals. The Bavarian State Chancellery did not want to comment on the matter.