This emerges from documents that were leaked to the “Falter”. “Zur Zeit” editor Andreas Mölzer “decisively rejected” the accusation of journalistic venality against the weekly newspaper. In 2016, around 80,000 euros were to flow from the FPÖ to “Zur Zeit” as part of a “large subscription”. “Whenever there is a report on the topics of the FPÖ EU mandates, the large subscriber copies are purchased using their budget. When the work of the parliamentary club is reported on the same budget,” it said in an email protocol. Large subscriptions to the FPÖ have a “certain tradition,” said Mölzer. Ten to 15 percent of the budget was generated this way in the past. However, under Herbert Kickl as FPÖ leader, this financial support no longer exists.
“Freedom content is available for free”
An offer from “Zur Zeit” to the Tyrolean FPÖ leader Markus Abwerzger from 2021 stipulated that he would, among other things, receive a regular commentary and “a Tyrol edition as a four-page supplement, with texts that have been agreed with you” for the purchase of 300 Receive “currently” subscriptions. The cover page can also be mutated “as desired” for the Tyrol edition. However, the offer was not accepted. Abwerzger confirmed this to the APA on Wednesday. The offer was rejected, among other things, because it did not fit due to the budget situation at the time and the “overall concept”. In addition, “We don’t buy positive reporting,” emphasized the state party chairman.
In 2018, FPÖ EU MP Harald Vilimsky was presented with the cover of an issue from that time, to which he responded with “excellent cover”. He noted that someone should contact “Zur Zeit” about the amount of the edition and the exact procedure. “We didn’t sell any content, we just give free content for free,” Mölzer was quoted as saying by “Falter”. According to the newspaper, the FPÖ did not comment on the matter when asked.
On its homepage, “Zur Zeit” presents itself as a “conservative and liberal weekly paper”. It is “independent of all parties and associations”.
