Anti-terror law

Turquoise-green dispute: Now there is movement after all

Green Party leader Sigrid Maurer goes on the offensive for Justice Minister Alma Zadic.

(Bild: Reinhard Holl)

The thwarted attack in Vienna brings new fuel to the fire in the government: the Greens now want to send a draft bill to the Ministry of the Interior for consideration.

Since the thwarted attack and the canceled Taylor Swift concerts, there has been a lot going on in domestic politics. It is about more possibilities for investigators and also about an anti-terror law. Gerhard Karner's (ÖVP) Ministry of the Interior told the newspaper "Krone" that a draft law had already been sent to Green Justice Minister Alma Zadić on February 16.

Since then, there have been several attempts to make inquiries and proposed dates - but nothing has happened. But what does the minister say to the accusations that she or the Greens are blocking this? According to the Ministry of the Interior, the Constitutional Court (VfGH) also repealed a provision of the Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO) during an initial attempt to pass a law on state protection and intelligence services. This clearly falls within the remit of the Ministry of Justice.

The Ministry did not respond to specific questions about the allegations.

It is now time to clarify many unanswered questions
Instead, Sigrid Maurer, head of the parliamentary party, spoke out on the matter. "It is clear that we must do everything we can to prevent acts of terrorist violence and protect the population," said Maurer. "Following the Constitutional Court's 2019 ruling on the federal Trojan, there are many unanswered questions that have not yet been sufficiently clarified."

To enable this clarification, it is now time to send the Ministry of the Interior's draft to a public review. During the review phase, which usually lasts six weeks, lawyers, constitutional law experts, technology and data protection experts, the opposition and the public have the opportunity to form an informed opinion. This issue is about balancing two important concerns: security against terrorism and the protection of civil rights.

Maurer: "Such a major project must also be discussed by experts and on the basis of facts - let's do this transparently in public so that everyone can form an opinion on the Ministry of the Interior's draft."