"Mistakes happen ..."

After PK accusations: Greens row back with SPÖ

Lena Schilling and Green Party Secretary General Olga Voglauer commented on the latest accusations on Wednesday. Voglauer made serious accusations against the SPÖ, only to deny them just two hours later.

(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

On Wednesday, Olga Voglauer, Secretary General of the Greens, described the SPÖ as part of a campaign in relation to the accusations made against EU top candidate Lena Schilling. Shortly after her bizarre appearance, she is already rowing back on social media ...

"At our press conference today, I suggested that SPÖ top candidate Andreas Schieder had something to do with the publications about Lena Schilling. I made a mistake that should not have happened to me," Voglauer wrote ruefully on X. She has already apologized to the red politician. She has already apologized to the red politician. 

Accusation of "Silberstein methods"
She also regretted that she had spoken of "Silberstein methods" in this context. "I should have been aware of the connotation. I also apologize for this mistake," said Voglauer.

"In the middle of the SPÖ circle"
Voglauer had previously sharply criticized the SPÖ - but also the KPÖ. The "inhuman agitation" against Schilling has "a program, it is not by chance", said Voglauer. There are groups, competitors and people who have a personal interest in Schilling not being allowed to succeed. The rumors always come from the same few people, "in the middle of the SPÖ" and "in the middle of the KPÖ", explained Voglauer.

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"If you look at the polling data, I say: 'cui bono?' ('who benefits?', note) confirmed," said the party manager. "Yes, we have a problem, but this problem is campaigning." 

This is damaging to the Greens, and the SPÖ has an interest in this - "what we are seeing here are Silberstein methods", she said, alluding to the red "dirty campaigning" in the 2017 National Council election campaign.

There are groups, competitors and people who have a vested interest in Schilling not being allowed to succeed. The rumors always come from the same few people, in the middle of the SPÖ and in the middle of the KPÖ.

Olga Voglauer in ihrem Pressestatement

As a reminder, the Israeli political consultant Tal Silberstein gained inglorious notoriety during the 2017 National Council election campaign as a campaign advisor to the then chancellor and SPÖ leader Christian Kern. He had carried out dirty campaigning against the then new ÖVP leader with covert pro- and anti-Sebastian Kurz Facebook pages. The SPÖ parted ways with Silberstein after he was (temporarily) arrested in Israel in the final phase of the election campaign on corruption charges. Shortly before the election, the campaign manager also had to resign because Silberstein's internal documents relating to the SPÖ election campaign appeared in the media.

After the Greens apparently failed to clear up the allegations internally, they are now relying on conspiracy theories and insinuations against others.

SPÖ-Bundesgeschäftsführer Klaus Seltenheim

"Rumors can be attributed to the SPÖ"
"All the rumors can be traced back to a few people who can be attributed to the SPÖ," said the Green Secretary General in her press statement. Voglauer mentioned, for example, that a former SPÖ member was repeatedly mentioned in the case. Voglauer also made a connection between the activist appearing in the entire case and Schieder by pointing out that both had been active in the SPÖ Penzing. 

Babler rejects accusations
When asked about the allegations, SPÖ leader Andreas Babler emphasized that there was "no connection between the SPÖ and Lena Schilling". He was not aware of any meetings between people from the SPÖ environment and the Greens' top candidate for the EU elections. He was following the debate in the media and had no other information. And, according to Babler, he also does not want to interfere in the Greens' internal party affairs.

SPÖ leader Andreas Babler

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

SPÖ: "More ludicrous conspiracy theories"
Despite Voglauer's relativizations, SPÖ Federal Managing Director Klaus Seltenheim was outraged: "After the Greens apparently failed to clarify the allegations internally, they are now relying on conspiracy theories and insinuations against others", he criticized. The Greens should "finally provide clarification instead of developing ever more ludicrous conspiracy theories". We expect "a correction and apology for this inadmissible derailment", emphasized Seltenheim.