Covid fund in Lower Austria

Money for corona deniers: Rauch demands withdrawal

Health Minister Johannes Rauch

(Bild: APA/Georg Hochmuth)

The controversial funding of the Corona Fund in Lower Austria for "associations for vaccination victims" around corona denier Martin Rutter is causing rumblings in politics. Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) has now spoken out. He is calling on Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP) to cancel the pledge.

Rutter's association is spreading "completely untenable and factually incorrect information", the minister explained on Friday via X: "I consider it irresponsible for the state of Lower Austria to sponsor events organized by this association."

In a statement on payments from the fund, Mikl-Leitner emphasized: "What Lower Austria certainly does not support are events in which conspiracy theories are spread." The head of the ÖVP could "rely on the fact that not a single euro of funding would be paid out in Lower Austria if something was not right", she said.

In Lower Austria, every disbursement is put through its paces.

Landeshauptfrau Mikl-Leitners zu den Förderungen

Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER

"In Lower Austria, every disbursement is put through its paces. And of course I expect the same in this specific case," she explained. So far, no payment has been made and she is not prejudging the examination of the competent authorities. At the same time, Mikl-Leitner emphasized that around 90 percent of payments to date have been for support for the consequences of a serious corona illness, long Covid, mental illnesses as well as for tutoring and for sports clubs with programs for children and young people.

Charges brought against doctor
At an event last Sunday in Maria Enzersdorf (Mödling district), a general practitioner from Lower Austria allegedly claimed that coronavirus vaccines contain "neurorobots that can be activated from the outside" and that every vaccinated person received an IP address. Rauch announced that disciplinary charges would be brought against the man at the Medical Association. "profil" and the "Ö1" midday journal also reported on the event on Friday.

The posting by Johannes Rauch:

According to a "profil" report, the Association for Vaccination Victims, which is based in Carinthia, is said to have founded at least 24 offshoots in districts and statutory towns in Lower Austria. A maximum of three projects per organization are funded with up to 5000 euros each. It is advertised that the events are "supported by the state of Lower Austria". Several applications from associations around Rutter have been approved, according to the spokesperson of the responsible provincial councillor Christoph Luisser (FPÖ). No money has yet been paid out. The final disbursement of the funding will only take place after a final review to ensure that all requirements have been met and that there is no multiple funding, he said.

"Mockery of the service providers"
There was renewed criticism from several sides on Friday. "Using funding to promote the greatest possible nonsense and to reward people who insult the thousands of volunteers in the state is a mockery of the service providers in the state," said Wolfgang Zwander, regional managing director of the SPÖ Lower Austria. The corresponding subsidies should be "discontinued and reclaimed".

"The Lower Austrian ÖVP would do well to stop their coalition partner and put a stop to this," Ralph Schallmeiner, health spokesperson for the Greens, stated in a press release. The FPÖ is no match for the government. Lower Austria's NEOS state party leader Indra Collini expressed a similar view. The fact that such lectures are "officially supported by the state government with taxpayers' money is the last straw", she emphasized.