The ÖVP is tightening its tone when dealing with its green coalition partner. First, the black parliamentary club announced an inquiry to Justice Minister Alma Zadic (Greens) regarding Michael Radasztics. The judge at the Vienna Criminal Regional Court recently did not legally sentence former VP party chairman Sebastian Kurz to a conditional prison sentence in the false statement trial.
A few days later it became known that Radasztics had already handed out a disciplinary penalty in May 2023 in connection with his previous work as a public prosecutor. The two reasons have nothing to do with the short trial: In 2012, Radasztics initially failed to inform former finance minister Karl-Heinz Grasser regarding his status as a suspect in the Eurofighter investigation. In the same case, Radasztics illegally passed on information to former MP Peter Pilz in 2018.
This is where the ÖVP intervenes: it suspects that the judge has a close relationship with Pilz, who in turn has made a name for himself as a short-term opponent.
It’s regarding the “appearance of bias”, as Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler (VP) emphasized in the ORF “press hour”, in which OÖN editor Annette Gantner was one of the questioners. It’s regarding the reputation of the judiciary, following all the matter is “seemingly strange”.
The ÖVP now wants to know from Zadic how the short verdict and confirmation of the disciplinary punishment coincided. Zadic is also being asked to disclose how many employees in her cabinet previously worked for the “Push/Now list”.
In response, Green Party justice spokeswoman Agnes Sirkka Prammer called on her coalition partner to end attacks on the independent judiciary, even if the conviction of the former party leader was unpleasant in an election year. Prammer also referred to the statements of the chairman of the “Criminal Law” section of the Judges’ Association Friedrich Forsthuber, who “quite rightly” described the events as “ligitation PR”, which had the sole purpose of “attacking the person of the judge”.
The Ministry of Justice also refers to the opinion of the Association of Judges. There they had already explained in detail that it was the responsibility of the courts to clarify the question of possible bias on the part of the judge by way of appeal. In Austria, in keeping with the constitutionally enshrined separation of powers, neither the ministry nor the minister is allowed to influence court proceedings: “That’s a good thing and is the hallmark of a constitutional state.”
Criticism also in Gewessler
Zadic was not the only Green government colleague with whom Edtstadler had something to complain regarding. Environmental Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler accused her of being “unreasonable” in the dispute over the climate plan. Gewessler had submitted a climate protection plan to the EU Commission that had not been coordinated with the ÖVP, which Edtstadler reversed. The European Minister justified her intervention with objections from three ministries to the draft: “That was not a national plan, but a Gewessler plan,” said Edtstadler. The final plan must be submitted to Brussels by June.
When asked regarding government constellations following the National Council election, Edtstadler only ruled out working with FP chairman Herbert Kickl. Kickl accused her of having a problem with women and of not shying away from anything.
The VP minister accused the FPÖ as a whole of pushing Euroscepticism with hatred and dislike. If she listened to SP boss Andreas Babler, she mightn’t do anything with the call for higher taxes. She accused the Greens of not using some statements to drum up support for continued cooperation, for example in a three-party coalition.
Edtstadler statements verbatim
Edtstadler accused her government colleague Gewessler of setting a monument for herself when it came to the climate plan, which was more important to her than agreement with the other ministries. Edtstadler doesn’t see any way to give in: “She’s being unreasonable here.”
- Edtstadler on the climate in the coalition:
The draft climate plan should have been sent to the EU some time ago, but it failed because Edtstadler stopped Gewessler’s corresponding draft. The European Minister also justified this on Sunday by saying that three ministries had objected to the plans, but the minister had not taken this into account: “It was not a national plan but a Gewessler plan.”
- About the verdict once morest Sebastian Kurz:
The plan was then sent to Brussels without the knowledge of the ÖVP. Then she accepted her responsibility to withdraw him. Gewessler was apparently given “bad legal advice”. But discussions are continuing, so she hopes to find a “green path,” said Edtstadler. The final plan must be submitted by June.
- On the abolition of official secrecy:
As far as the future government constellation is concerned, the minister first wants to let the voters speak. The only thing Edtstadler ruled out was collaboration with FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl, whom she accused of stopping at nothing. He also has a problem with women.
- Possible coalitions following the election:
Although the European Minister accused the Freedom Party of pushing Euro-skepticism with hatred and dislike, she did not rule out a coalition with the FPÖ per se. Even if she listens to SPÖ leader Andreas Babler, there are many things that she can’t do anything with – such as higher taxes. On the other hand, she also knows constructive forces in the SPÖ. If a three-party coalition were to emerge, Edtstadler also did not commit himself, but said that some Green statements would not have stirred the drum to continue the collaboration. She neither wanted to confirm nor deny that she would prefer the NEOS.
In any case, the NEOS were not particularly enthusiastic regarding Edtstadler’s comments. Your top candidate for the European elections, Helmut Brandstätter, accused the ÖVP of being too happy to blame everything that is going badly in the country on the Union and thus creating a false image of Europe. The FP’s top candidate, Harald Vilimsky, reacted even more sharply, writing in a broadcast that he had a “pronounced political persecution mania” in relation to the FPÖ. It is the ÖVP that is pursuing policies once morest the citizens both in Austria and in the EU.
- On the election for the European Parliament:
There is also no support from the SPÖ. Federal Managing Director Klaus Seltenheim sees Edtstadler’s distancing himself from the FPÖ as just as unbelievable as his pro-European tones. The fact that the ÖVP minister explicitly does not rule out a coalition with the Freedom Party showed once once more that the People’s Party is ready to govern with the Blues once more.
- About tackling anti-Semitism:
Edtstadler is “extremely concerned” regarding the increasing number of anti-Semitic incidents, especially when it comes to young people. These would be “brainwashed” on the Internet. They would only get what they think reflected back from echo chambers. Teachers should therefore be given instructions on how best to deal with relevant statements. Edtstadler is positive regarding a Holocaust museum in Austria. It would be possible for them to lay the foundation stone during this legislative period.
- About upcoming U-committees:
Edtstadler defended the fact that the ÖVP had initiated its own investigative committee: “We are not in the biblical age where people say they turn the other cheek.”
This article was updated on March 3, 2024 at 4:51 p.m.
