The work plan and the first cargo lists were decided. In addition to the COFAG committee requested by the FPÖ and SPÖ, which is intended to shed light on funding from the Covid financing agency, the committee on the “Red-Blue Abuse of Power” supported by the ÖVP alone has also been set up.
Both the opposition parties SPÖ and FPÖ as well as the ÖVP announced their respective investigative committees at the same time at the end of November. The report is scheduled for July 1st. The surveys in the COFAG committee start on March 6th and 7th. The following week, on March 13th and 14th, the committee on the “Red-Blue Abuse of Power” begins. Subsequently, changes are made on a weekly basis. The last opportunity for surveys is on May 22nd and 23rd.
Meetings not public
The constituent meetings of the two U-committees are not public and are expected to last just under an hour each. Some additional requests for evidence are expected. The FPÖ had already announced that it would appoint former Finance Minister Gernot Blümel, his successor Magnus Brunner and Chancellor Karl Nehammer (all ÖVP) as well as investor Rene Benko to the COFAG committee. Only Benko is included in the red-blue request submitted on Thursday. Hafenecker emphasized after the constitution of the COFAG-U committee that further cargoes are reserved. There should be an opportunity to do this at the next plenary days of the National Council.
In addition to Benko, the head of the financial prosecutor’s office, Wolfgang Peschorn, and the managing director of the Federal Real Estate Agency, Hans-Peter Weiß, are actually in the red-blue desire. Several officials from Benkos Signa Holding and COFAG will also be invited. Several employees or former employees of the Ministry of Finance have also been invited by the SPÖ and FPÖ.
U-Committee as a “celebrity show”?
The “real” U-Committee – the one set up by his party together with the FPÖ – essentially deals with the question of whether there is a two-tier administration in Austria, said SPÖ parliamentary group leader Jan Krainer after the first constitutive meeting Meeting. The first summons list was presented today, and it primarily includes unknown tax officials. “When it comes to celebrity shows, you have to go to the ÖVP’s U-committee.”
In the COFAG committee, the ÖVP wants to invite former Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer (SPÖ), several COFAG supervisory board members and the mayor of Innsbruck Georg Willi (Greens) to provide information. The list for the Red-Blue-U Committee is significantly longer and prominent. The ÖVP wants to invite 35 people, including ex-chancellors Christian Kern and Werner Faymann, his former head of cabinet in the Ministry of Transport Josef Ostermayer as well as the second President of the National Council Doris Bures, Jörg Leichtfried, Norbert Darabos and Hans Peter Doskozil (all SPÖ).
On the FPÖ side, the People’s Party wants to question former ministers Norbert Hofer, Herbert Kickl and Beate Hartinger-Klein. Mario Kunasek and Reinhard Teufel (FPÖ club chairman in Styria and Lower Austria respectively) should also be invited. Furthermore, the pollster Sabine Beinschab as well as Günther Ogris and Christoph Hofinger from the Foresight Institute (formerly SORA, note) will be interviewed.
“Red-Blue abuse of power”
ÖVP parliamentary group leader Andreas Hanger is “completely calm” about the COFAG-U committee. “COFAG was necessary to secure the Austrian economy and thus thousands of jobs. But what I 100 percent deny is that individual companies were given preference.” The committee set up by the ÖVP on the “red-blue abuse of power” was “deliberately defined very broadly.”
According to Hanger, the central issues will concern the FPÖ, “which is essentially a corrupt party.” He mentioned the financial scandal in Graz and Heinz-Christian Strache’s chats. “We have been trying for over three years to get the chats from Strache, (Johann, note) Gudenus and Thomas Schmid.” Herbert Kickl’s time as Interior Minister should also be examined. “We are of course also devoting ourselves to the SPÖ’s government, particularly the connections between Alfred Gusenbauer and Rene Benko.” One could discuss various options for transmission.
“We’re excited to get started”
“We’re pleased that it’s starting today,” said the Green parliamentary group leader Nina Tomaselli, adding that they had definitely wanted a “Benko investigative committee”. The entrepreneur was on the verge of legality. Tomaselli also wants to know what role the lending banks played in Benko’s business.
The NEOS are still not big fans of the U-committees, as Yannick Shetty emphasized before the first constituent meeting. He fears misuse of parliamentary information in the course of the primary election campaign and would rather see consequences from past committees. “Instead of plugging the holes, we continue to look for holes where there is leakage,” said Shetty. Of course, people will still take part in the clarification.
Both investigative committees will be chaired by National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP). These are the first committees of inquiry in the newly renovated parliament building. However, the possibility of live broadcasts, as previously proposed by the ÖVP, is unlikely to exist. Hafenecker considers this to be a red herring and therefore out of the question.
