In the same boat as SPÖ, ÖVP

Greens receive first fine for illegal donation

The Greens as well as the ÖVP and SPÖ have been fined for inadmissible party donations or donations that were not reported or reported too late (symbolic image).

(Bild: Screenshot Rechnungshof, stock.adobe.com, krone.at-Grafik)

The Greens have received their first fine for an illegal party donation. This concerns funds from the Green Parliamentary Club that were used by the federal party after it was kicked out of the National Council in 2017. Penalties have now also been imposed on the ÖVP and SPÖ in connection with party finances.

The highest fine of 37,500 euros was imposed on the SPÖ. The background to this is an unauthorized party donation to the Graz party from the municipal council club via the magazine "4U" in 2021. As the Court of Audit had analyzed, the content of the newspaper had shifted conspicuously towards party content before the municipal council elections at the time. Further fines are to be paid for donations that were reported to the Court of Audit too late.

According to the Independent Party Transparency Senate, the ÖVP did not disclose the income and expenditure of the Tyrolean Young Farmers' Association/Country Youth in the report. The Landjugend are a branch of the Bauernbund and therefore of the ÖVP, it said. This fine amounts to 15,000 euros. In addition, there are other smaller penalties for donations that were not reported or reported too late, for example through advertisements worth 5,000 euros by a local committee of individuals.

Interest advantage inadmissible
The Greens have also been fined for the first time for an illegal party donation. This concerns funds from the Green Parliamentary Club, which were used by the Green Federal Party after the party was expelled from the National Council in 2017. The funds were repaid in 2020 - but without interest. The UPTS considers this to be an inadmissible donation. The penalty for this is 2720 euros.

The decision on possible incorrect and incomplete information in the statement of accounts for the Austrian Seniors' Association (concerns the ÖVP) has been postponed for the time being. ÖVP Secretary General Christian Stocker spoke of a "differing legal opinion", which was noted. However, the issue should now be clarified by the Federal Administrative Court.