Witnesses cancel

Next U-committee: Witnesses disappear before the start

The ÖVP parliamentary group leader in the self-initiated inquiry committee, Andreas Hanger (right), is facing a bumpy start. Not only do they have to contend with refusals, Hanger himself has already disinvited another FPÖ politician.

(Bild: APA/Helmut Fohringer)

The parliamentary committee of inquiry into the "red-blue abuse of power" set up by the ÖVP is struggling with a shortage of witnesses even before questioning begins. One of the witnesses invited to give evidence next Wednesday could now only be questioned on Thursday, as there are still no confirmations for that day. However, the U-Committee is not only struggling with cancellations - the ÖVP, for example, invited the leader of the Freedom Party in Lower Austria to withdraw his invitation.

The ÖVP's plan for the already short committee was ambitious: Group leader Andreas Hanger wanted to invite a total of 35 respondents, preferably from SPÖ and Freedom Party circles. The turquoise list includes the red ex-chancellors Alfred Gusenbauer and Christian Kern as well as FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl. The Green mayor of Innsbruck, Georg Willi, has also been announced.

An old acquaintance kicks things off
The reality currently looks a little bleaker. The Turkish-motivated questioning will begin next Wednesday with the head of the Procurator's Office, Wolfgang Peschorn - he was already the first to be questioned in the COFAG committee of inquiry set up by the SPÖ and FPÖ. He will be followed by the Head of Internal Audit at the Ministry of the Interior.

An investigation in fast-forward - and then only with "half" days to start with

(Bild: Parlamentsdirektion/Michael Buchner)

Plan reduced to "half" days
Another key figure from Kickl's time in office as Minister of the Interior, his former Secretary General Peter Goldgruber, had also agreed to appear on Wednesday. Now his questioning could be postponed to Thursday. The reason: all of the interviewees scheduled for this second day of questioning have canceled. This means that there would now be at least two "half" U-examination days.

For the ÖVP parliamentary group leader in the self-initiated U Committee, Andreas Hanger (right), there is a risk of a bumpy start. Not only do they have to contend with cancellations, Hanger himself has already disinvited another FPÖ politician.

(Bild: APA/Helmut Fohringer)

Absent witnesses probably fear no consequences
A number of other witnesses, including the former blue Social Affairs Minister Beate Hartinger-Klein, have already declined, often citing vacation. The wave of refusals is probably also due to the brevity of the U-Committee, whose questioning only lasts just under three months. It would again take a considerable amount of time to summon them again. It would therefore be difficult to impose sanctions.

Muzzled because of government participation?
Coalition diplomacy at state level could also have played a role in the loss of witnesses, according to reports. For example, Kickl's former head of cabinet Reinhard Teufel was originally intended to be the first person to give evidence instead of Peschorn and had actually already agreed to do so. However, interest in him waned again. Teufel is also the head of the blue party in the Lower Austrian state parliament and therefore a coalition partner of the ÖVP.

According to the ÖVP, Teufel was turned down "due to files", as certain documents had not yet been fully evaluated. On the fringes of the COFAG committee of inquiry on Thursday, parliamentary group leader Hanger already massively criticized other refusals by FPÖ-affiliated interviewees. Nevertheless, a current list still includes 70 potential interviewees that the ÖVP could invite.