2024-09-23 11:02:32
The FPÖ will file a complaint with the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office based on the new findings surrounding the ORF Ziegler case, which the magazine “Dossier” recently reported exclusively on based on the commission report that had been kept secret by the ORF until now. This was announced today by FPÖ media spokesperson and Secretary General Christian Hafenecker, MA, at his joint press conference with ORF Foundation Council member Ing. Peter Westenthaler.
“From the publications of ‘Dossier’, it was clear how Ziegler influenced the ORF’s reporting in favor of the ÖVP and subsequently also elections. This systematic influence was also confirmed by around fifty employees interviewed by the internal investigation commission. On the other hand, Ziegler was then allowed to moderate, for example, a panel discussion at the Alois Mock Institute, which is closely linked to Wolfgang Sobotka, or New Year’s receptions at the Chamber of Commerce in 2019 and 2020. One therefore gets the impression that, in return for his favors at the ORF for the ÖVP, he was given opportunities by the ÖVP to top up his salary through such side jobs. Since ORF Director General Weißmann is still keeping the Ziegler report under wraps despite all these grievances that have come to light and, to our knowledge, the WKStA has not yet taken action on its own initiative, we are filing a complaint because there is suspicion of corruption and abuse of power here. It will also be necessary to examine the extent to which Ziegler violated the code of conduct for ORF employees with his secondary activities,” said Hafenecker.
Overall, the Ziegler case reveals a frightening extent of the links between party politics, in this case the ÖVP, and public broadcasting, for which Hafenecker cited a few other leaked examples from the Ziegler report: “On the one hand, Ziegler made sure that ORF reporting was very cautious on issues critical of the ÖVP until the matter could no longer be kept under wraps, such as the Erwin Pröll Foundation. On the other hand, however, he advocated accelerated reporting when it was against the FPÖ, for example the so-called songbook affair or the Ibiza video. Ziegler is even said to have been involved in the corrections before publication of an ORF-NÖ interview with the current state governor Mikl-Leitner. This reveals how the ORF, which is financed with a ‘compulsory tax’, is being abused to create political sentiments and ultimately also to manipulate elections! One almost believes that the ORF is running as its own political party against the FPÖ!” In addition to biased reporting, there are also appearances by “fake experts”, i.e. political figures who are invited to studios by the ORF as supposedly objective experts, with the aim of stirring up sentiment. These grievances, caused by a few, are unfair to the many ORF employees who work honestly.
The extent to which the ÖVP and its “deep state” reject independent and free journalism is also shown by the very current case of Report24 editor Florian Machl and two other journalists who were refused accreditation for parliament on the upcoming election Sunday, as the Freedom Party media spokesperson described at the beginning: “The decision to exclude them from election reporting did not come from parliament, but from the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN) located in the Ministry of the Interior. Freelance journalists are not only monitored by the intelligence service and prevented from doing their work, but the DSN, as part of the executive branch, also dictates to the legislature which media are allowed to report. This is a massive attack on freedom of the press and the separation of powers. I therefore call on ÖVP Interior Minister Karner to immediately lift all restrictions on journalists’ access to parliament on election Sunday, to formally apologize to those affected and to disclose the legal basis for these events!” explained Hafenecker.
ORF Foundation Council member Peter Westenthaler criticized the fact that eleven days after the last Foundation Council meeting on the Ziegler case, there had still been no response from ORF General Director Weissmann. In this meeting, a motion was passed by a majority that the content of the “dossier” report should be reviewed to determine whether this would result in a new need for action or a different assessment of the decisions made at the time. “Mr. General Director, what is your result and your conclusion? Why are you still holding your protective hand over Mr. Ziegler? And why are you continuing to play this party-political game of the ÖVP?” Westenthaler asked Weissmann, adding: “If the ORF General Director wants to survive election day, then that is at least one motive, but that has nothing to do with the ORF Foundation Council. Every Foundation Council member must feel teased if there is no reaction from the ORF General Director.”
“Weissmann has been keeping this report under wraps for a year and has not even informed his board of trustees about it. They must find out from a media outlet what atrocities were documented in this report. This report documents and proves the ÖVP’s abuse of power in the ORF,” said Westenthaler, who referred to the presumption of innocence in this context.
Westenthaler is concerned about the basis for decisions at ORF, because this report reveals that Mr. Ziegler has violated the ORF law, the ORF program guidelines and the ORF code of conduct. “It cannot be that after such a report, which was prepared on the basis of fifty employees interviewed at the ORF Lower Austria regional studio, the Director General acknowledges Ziegler’s resignation and expresses his respect, thanks and recognition and then gives him a highly paid position at ORF. Why is Weißmann holding his protective hand over Ziegler? I call on the Director General to announce the result of his investigation before the National Council elections – it is not permissible to pass this on an election date. In any case, there will have to be a new ORF law by April 1, 2025 at the latest. The law must then include a completely new nomination of the Foundation Board and also the new election of the management in the second quarter of 2025. A new management is urgently needed due to the events surrounding the scandal surrounding the ‘Ziegler’ case,” emphasised the FPÖ Foundation Council.
In recent weeks, says Westenthaler, one has seen a comprehensive campaign by the ORF not only in the information programs, but also in the entertainment. “This includes, among other things, the ‘putting down’ of FPÖ voters, for example in the program ‘Willkommen Österreich’. Or after the ORF duel between Herbert Kickl and SPÖ-Babler, the program ‘3 Am Runden Tisch’ took place, which was moderated by the wife of NEOS-Brandstätter, Patricia Pawlitzki – that alone is actually unbelievable. In the program, Pawlitzki, in an unbelievable way, posed negative quotes about the FPÖ to the Falter columnist disguised as a question. In this program, a campaign against Herbert Kickl and the FPÖ took place. This procedure is one hundred percent contrary to the ORF law, the program guidelines and the code of ethics. The ORF Director General must now examine this procedure and draw conclusions,” demanded Westenthaler.
With regard to the ORF household fee, the ORF Board of Trustees also noted that there are other scandalous administrative deficiencies. “The OBS still cannot do this, because things happen that make your hair stand on end. For example, civil servants are exempt from the household fee, but those doing basic military service are not. A minimum pensioner who is actually exempt from the fee had to fight for five months to get an exemption certificate, but she still received a reminder letter with a demand for payment, even though she had an exemption certificate. A blind person also has to pay the ORF fee and was not exempted on the grounds that he can hear and therefore can also hear the radio programs. ORF and the OBS are acting so cold-bloodedly,” criticized Westenthaler.
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