WKStA wants to investigate

Majority in favor: National Council likely to extradite Kickl

It is of course still questionable whether any investigations will actually produce any results - but a majority in the National Council is required for any investigations to take place.

(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl is facing trouble because of alleged false statements made to the U-Committee. Now that the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) wants to investigate him, the parliamentarians must first vote in favor. A majority in the National Council now seems certain.

The extradition of FPÖ party leader Herbert Kickl requested by the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) is likely to receive a majority. The SPÖ has now finally signaled that it will agree to the extradition request.

The request is based on allegations of false testimony in the U Committee on "red-blue abuse of power" and a complaint by ÖVP MP Andreas Hanger. NEOS did not want to comment on this and will wait for the immunity committee.

Told the untruth several times?
The accusation is that Kickl told several untruths during his appearance before the committee of inquiry on April 11, including about the affair surrounding the Klagenfurt advertising agency Ideenschmiede, as well as about blue advertisement deals and Kickl's relationship as Interior Minister with former FPÖ MP Hans Jörg Jenewein.

The FPÖ saw Kickl's summons to the U-committee as a "political maneuver", he had made the statements as a member of parliament and was therefore immune.

ÖVP: Kickl applies "double standards" 
The ÖVP naturally took a different view. Secretary General Christian Stocker said in a press release on Friday: "The Kickl-FPÖ likes to talk about double standards, and at the first opportunity they use them themselves. The extradition of Herbert Kickl, on the other hand, is completely without alternative."

The SPÖ also saw no connection with Kickl's parliamentary activities and wants to give the WKStA the opportunity to investigate. The ÖVP and SPÖ together hold the majority in both the immunity committee and the plenum.