"Customs disregarded"

Orbán reception: ÖVP poses 75 questions to the FPÖ

Not everyone liked it: NR President Rosenkranz with the Hungarian prime minister on the steps of the parliament in Vienna

(Bild: APA/Tobias Steinmaurer)

Viktor Orbán's visit and the FPÖ's role as host will soon have parliamentary repercussions. The ÖVP does not want to leave the matter alone and is putting no fewer than 75 questions to the President of the National Council by means of a parliamentary question.

Hungary's Prime Minister on a visit to Vienna - "privately", as the FPÖ repeatedly emphasized. Nevertheless, there was a great deal of excitement as he was received like a state guest by National Council President Walter Rosenkranz, and there was even a cooperation agreement with the Freedom Party, in which party leader and election winner Herbert Kickl appears as Austria's representative. The only private aspect of the visit was probably the subsequent panel discussion with a Swiss media outlet in Vienna's Sofiensäle.

The excitement is not dying down. The Chancellor's party followed up on Sunday morning, announcing to the "Krone" a parliamentary question to the President of the National Council, who is to answer 75 questions. Rosenkranz had "disregarded numerous parliamentary customs".

The office of ÖVP Secretary General Christian Stocker listed some of them:

• "Who decided to have the flag of the European Union removed?"

• "What objective and factual criteria led to the selection of Herbert Kickl as a member of your delegation for the meeting with Viktor Orbán?"

• "Can you understand that the composition of your delegation gives the impression that this was a party event of the FPÖ rather than an official appointment of the President of the National Council?"

• "How much overtime did the staff of the Parliamentary Administration have to work for the extremely short-notice preparation, implementation and follow-up of the meeting with Viktor Orbán?"

• "What insights did the meeting with Viktor Orbán provide for you in your role as President of the National Council?"

Not everyone liked it: National Council President Rosenkranz with the Hungarian prime minister on the steps of the parliament in Vienna

(Bild: APA/Tobias Steinmaurer)

The political waters had already risen before, during and after the visit on October 31 - above all because of the "Vienna Declaration" between the FPÖ and Orbán. The ÖVP stated that Kickl "does not represent Austria in any official capacity to the outside world". The Greens declared: "Herbert Kickl cannot sign anything for Austria." The NEOS also distanced themselves from the "declaration of friendship". "The FPÖ is dreaming of restructuring our republic along Hungarian lines," said the SPÖ.

The ÖVP Secretary General had also criticized the fact that "the EU flag was removed" from the parliamentary reception room - this is now also the subject of the parliamentary question. This shows the "comprehensive disdain for Austria and the EU that Kickl is showing here". The FPÖ was accused of "disrespecting state symbols".

Second President of the National Council also "irritated"
Meanwhile, the Second President of the National Council, Peter Haubner, is also "very irritated" by the blue campaign. When he took office, Rosenkranz had claimed to be a "team player". However, he proved the opposite with his first guest, criticized Haubner on this Sunday's ORF programme "Hohes Haus".

NEOS inquiry into invitation policy
In any case, the matter is far from over. Haubner announces that the matter will also be discussed at the next meeting of the Presidential Committee. And the NEOS are also active. They are also submitting a question to Rosenkranz and questioning the National Council President's invitation policy.

"Anti-democrat, anti-European, Putin apologist"
Of course, the FPÖ let it all roll off its tongue: General Secretary Christian Hafenecker demanded the resignation of Werner Kogler (Greens) as a minister - because of "statements and the worst insults made by Kogler" against Orbán. Among other things, Kogler had called the Hungarian prime minister an "anti-democrat, anti-European and Putin apologist".