But first things first: The rules of procedure scheduled for the early afternoon could not be convened because the ÖVP stayed away. It seems practically impossible that surveys will still take place, since the deadline of two weeks until the end of January can no longer be met. There should be at least one more start of talks: National Council President and Committee Chairman Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) invited the parliamentary group leaders to a meeting on Thursday at 1 p.m.
Sobotka said that it was “extremely regrettable” that the group did not reach a consensus on a meeting date. If he were to convene a meeting without the agreement of the parliamentary groups, it would be “a clear break with parliamentary practice and a prejudice for future parliamentary cooperation”. He appealed to all factions to find a solution, which is why he invited again to a faction leader meeting.
SPÖ: “ÖVP has been torpedoing this committee since day one”
The opposition reacted angrily because of the behavior of the ÖVP: The ÖVP informed the other parliamentary groups “at five to twelve” that they would not be taking part in the meeting, said SPÖ parliamentary group leader Kai Jan Krainer. As a result, the planned meeting could not take place and further requests for evidence from the Greens and the SPÖ could not be submitted. “The ÖVP has been torpedoing this committee since day one. So far that no more surveys are possible,” says Krainer.
FPÖ suspects a call from St. Pölten: “Turn it off!”
For FPÖ parliamentary group leader Christian Hafenecker it seems clear why the ÖVP did not appear on Wednesday. “The turquoise-black phone should have rang today and (Lower Austria’s ÖVP governor Johanna, note) Mikl-Leitner said: ‘Turn that off!'” The ÖVP had thus excluded itself from the political discourse, now it was time for a serious discussion of “how to behave and how not to behave in this House”.
NEOS: “Worse than kindergarten”
NEOS faction leader Stephanie Krisper described the current course as “worse than kindergarten”. She once again criticized the “red-black quarrels” that had meant that surveys were no longer possible. Like Nina Tomaselli (Greens), she regretted the “inglorious supposed end of the committee”. Tomaselli said she expects National Council President Sobotka to “try to find a solution that will allow further requests for evidence”.
ÖVP locates guilt in SPÖ
ÖVP parliamentary group leader Andreas Hanger, on the other hand, saw his SPÖ colleague Krainer as a “gravedigger of political culture in Austria”. The decisive factor for Hanger’s decision was that Krainer’s presentation of the facts to the WKStA became known. In it, the SPÖ faction leader reported 20 people in the ÖVP environment in November.
The ÖVP MP suspects that Krainer could have reported the people without their knowledge in order to provoke false statements in the investigation committee. That was “perfidious” and “very, very questionable in terms of the rule of law”. Hanger will “go into Thursday’s meeting again with a very constructive attitude,” but he will also “express his protest,” Hanger said.
Investigations against Media Contacta
But just on the same day it became known that the WKStA was investigating the award of contracts to the advertising agency Media Contacta, which is considered to be close to the ÖVP, as reported by the “Standard” – a result of the ad by SPÖ parliamentary group leader Krainer. He raised serious allegations against employees of the company based in Vienna and St. Pölten, but also against officials in ministries and people in the ÖVP Lower Austria.
Krainer’s assertion – regularly raised widely in the U-Committee: Media Contacta belongs to the ÖVP Lower Austria and is supplied with orders from ÖVP-led ministries and can also work more cost-effectively for the ÖVP and the ÖVP Lower Austria.
On the part of the ÖVP or corresponding persons providing information, Krainer’s account was always denied, there was no participation of the ÖVP Lower Austria in the Media Contacta. Compared to the “Standard”, the WKStA confirmed investigations against six people – on suspicion of anti-competitive agreements in procurement procedures. It is the presumption of innocence.
