"Red-blue" EU committee

Greens want to question Kickl on Kremlin “cuddle course”

Green MP Meri Disoski

(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

The FPÖ's relations with Russia, but also with the media, will be the focus of the Greens' upcoming meetings of the committee of inquiry into the "red-blue abuse of power" on Wednesday and Thursday. The fact that the FPÖ is "a danger to our democracy" is already clear to the Greens' parliamentary group leader, Meri Disoski.

Austria has been infiltrated by Russia right up to the highest levels of the intelligence and security services, Disoski said at a press conference, referring to the espionage affair surrounding former BVT employee Egisto Ott. The FPÖ was "not only involved, but right in the middle of it", working as an extension of the Kremlin. For example, former FPÖ Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache had planned an Austrian-Russian meeting with young Austrian officials at Russia's request, as became known through chats.

Own Russia-U committee called for
Disoski wants to clarify by asking FPÖ leader and former Interior Minister Herbert Kickl whether the FPÖ received quid pro quos from Russia for this "cuddly course". Kiickl must disclose the termination of his party's friendship agreement with the Putin party "United Russia", otherwise it must be assumed that it is still in place. Some questions on the FPÖ's relations with Russia were recently not permitted in the U Committee. Disoski hopes that the chairman will decide differently this time. In general, however, a separate committee of inquiry on the subject of Russia is needed, she said.

The relationship between the FPÖ and the media should also be a topic. Disoski criticized the fact that there had been advertisements with benevolent reporting and addressed the involvement of FPÖ-led ministries in right-wing media - the "Krone" reported on this. In addition, the FPÖ had wanted to "remove" ORF journalists they did not like and prevent critical reporting, she said, referring to chats that had recently come to light.

For the Greens, Wednesday is dominated by the health insurance reform under former Health Minister Beate Hartinger-Klein (FPÖ), who has been summoned to appear before the U Committee on Wednesday, said Green MP Markus Koza at the press conference. A patient billion had been promised, but instead the reform had cost 215 million euros according to a Court of Auditors report. He suspects that this was a case of "recoloring" the social insurance system. The Greens want to ask how appointments to posts and consultancy contracts came about. Koza criticized the fact that files had been destroyed, and he would also like to see the files that are currently sealed in the state archives. The Federal Archives Act was also in "urgent need of reform".

"Mockery of parliament"
Disoski is concerned about the "loss of blue witnesses" and the behavior of Kickl's former Secretary General Peter Goldgruber at the last U Committee hearing. Goldgruber had questioned the constitutionality of the sub-committee, did not answer any questions and instead read out a 20-minute statement on the impeachment several times. This was a "mockery of parliament", said Disoski, who expects those providing information to fulfill their "civic duty" and testify.