2024-04-23 17:15:14
Herbert Kickl (FPÖ) during his statement as part of the U-Committee on the “Red-Blue Abuse of Power” in the parliament in Vienna. (Photo © APA/Georg Hochmuth)
I recently saw the show High House. The well-prepared journalist Rebecca Salzer interviewed the FPÖ General Secretary Christian Hafenecker our research into the FPÖ agency Ideas Forgeshe is Herbert Kickl’s Achilles heel, the issue makes him nervous.
Hafenecker didn’t give his colleague any answers to some legitimate questions, but instead became aggressive, just as one learns in liberal “crash course” media training. “Frough salter”said Hafenecker, “Now you’ve dropped your mask, you’re working with Mr. Klenk, that’s very clear. Because Mr. Klenk has been working on this story for nine years and he can’t get it down.“
The sentence, a product of well-known liberal “Crash Rhetoric“, it was all wrong. Firstly, Salzer doesn’t work with me. Secondly, I haven’t been working on this story for “nine years”. Because, thirdly, I “brought it to the ground”, i.e. published it, in 2015 .You can do that here in the archive read up.
“This story” regarding Kickl’s PR agency has now unexpectedly become topical, there are new developments and judgments. And there is the video from Ibiza where Strache revealed what Kickl was doing. The party was financed through agencies “bypassing the Court of Auditors,” said Strache. The machinations of the past appear in a new light today. We know more today than we did back then. Kickl also wants to become chancellor. In this respect, it is exciting to know why the clean man managed his considerable fortune with a straw man.
Herbert Kickl, as the WKStA found out in 2013 based on secured contracts, was (or is) the hidden 50% shareholder of an advertising agency called “Ideenschmiede” through his trustee (=straw man) and co-partner Thomas Sila. From 2005 onwards, this not only attracted orders from the FPÖ, but also from the state of Carinthia. Representatives of the state – such as State Councilor Uwe Scheuch – were bribed so that the tax money flowed to the agency. This is what a publicly pronounced judgment says in the Scheuch case. The clean man Kickl then also bought a property with his straw man, such as the agency’s office building in Klagenfurt. It generates 50,000 euros in rent per year and is worth around 1.1 million euros.
When Kickl ruled in the Interior Ministry, his straw man’s agency was to be commissioned once more. At that time, however, the think tank appeared with its new name (“Signs”). In other words: Kickl commissioned his trustee to advertise for him in the ministry – at tax expense. When we uncovered the matter, he said that the agency had been working for free.
The accusation is therefore: Kickl collects a lot of money from political advertising privately, but did not want (and does not want) to disclose this to his electorate. Because that doesn’t fit with his image as a fighter once morest the “system people”.
Kickl does all of this very intelligently and legally. He has signed written trust agreements that allow him to immediately take control of the agency and the properties he purchased through a straw man.
When the trust contracts were discovered in a banana box in his front man’s basement in 2013, he said: “I didn’t live the contracts!” or “I gave her verbal notice!” Section chief Pilnacek believed him “in case of doubt” and issued instructions to quash proceedings that the WKStA wanted to conduct.
But we at FALTER are actually still wondering why Kickl is acting so covertly. Is it simply for political reasons because he doesn’t want his party friends to know his proud financial status and his possessions? Or criminal charges – because, according to his own statements, his straw man had bribed politicians (such as Uwe Scheuch) in order to get contracts for the agency? So did Kickl cash in? Or are there tax motives (there is currently no indication of this)? Why were more than a million euros in profit not shown in the balance sheet – illegally (the straw man also confessed to this)?
In any case, we believe that a self-proclaimed candidate for chancellor should answer such questions to his voters transparently and honestly – and not with three untruths from party general Christian Hafenecker.
Yours, Florian Klenk
Concordia Ball: Dancing for freedom of the press
The Viennese has been sitting since 1859 Concordia Press Club for independent journalism. And he has been organizing the Concordia Ball for almost as long. Celebrate the festival for free journalism with us!
24. May 2024Townhall of Vienna
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And now for something pleasant: Florian Scheuba, cabaret artist and publicist, is celebrating an anniversary today. For the hundredth time we are broadcasting his podcast “Scheuba asks“. This time our Alex Reed: the bestselling author Daniel Kehlmann. It’s regarding Herbert Kickl’s think tank and regarding “Nazi-discriminatory literature”. With his regular listener Kehlmann he discusseswhy “Schwurbler” are actually “weirdos” and the German language might save Austria from Orbanization.
Why is the FPÖ inviting Sucharit Bhakdi? a conspiracy theorist, who doesn’t even shy away from condemning child polio vaccination? There is also an explanation in the huge networks that critics of Corona measures, right-wing extremists and esotericists create on Telegram. The Federal Office for Sect Issues, an institution under public law, has now presented an impressive study regarding this parallel world. Nina Horaczek read the work, interviewed the head of the federal agency and this lead story written regarding it. In her online column “Blauland” Horaczek portrays the FPÖ “health” spokesman Gerald Hauser.
What happens if you only inform yourself regarding right-wing media for six months? The TV journalist Hans Demmel tried it. What he learned and whether he would do it once more read here.
The city is facing a monumental effort. Thousands of Syrian refugees will bring their families to Vienna in the coming months – as part of family reunification under asylum law. The schools are facing major problems, the ÖVP integration minister and the ÖVP education minister have not prepared any concepts on how to enroll, educate and integrate such a large number of young people.
One place where the Syrian community is particularly visible is the Brunnenmarkt. Lale Ohlrogge visited the Ottakring market – it offers a promise of advancement and has changed significantly since the Syrians arrived. We think: not for the worse.
St. Pölten applied to be European Capital of Culture in 2024 – the Salzkammergut region then became it. The city didn’t want to miss out on a cultural festival and quickly set up its own, the “Tangente”. Is this just hurt vanity or a sensible plan, asked FALTER feature editor Matthias Dusini. Read his answers here.
The 60th Art Biennale in Venice is a celebration of the global south – FALTER art critic Nicole Scheyerer was there and is not completely convinced. Because the relationship between art and folklore is delicate. Read her exhibition report here.
“My daughter cries when I start to sing,” says Ankathie Koi. Like that? Can polyamorous rock star life and the tendency to be a helicopter mom fit together? And why did the Viennese singer fall in love with the character of Harlequin? You can find answers to these questions in the Cover story of our culture and program supplement.
Find out why a new exhibition the family of the writer Karl Kraus is examined in more detail; Peter Blau recommends the newcomer’s cabaret solo Christina KieslerSara Schausberger that Play “The Big Booklet” in the Odeon, Nahla Hamula the main topic “Nelson Mandela and his legacy“, Sebastian Fasthuber the Vienna Rock Festival Echoes of ErebosMiriam Damev das Cello concert “Bach meets Bartolomey” and Nicole Scheyerer Eva Beresin’s new exhibition in the Albertina.
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