Motion in drawer

Blue Corona U committee still has to wait

The FPÖ has promised clarification

(Bild: Wolfgang Spitzbart)

Despite the failure of the blue-black government negotiations, the FPÖ Corona Committee of Inquiry in Parliament will have to wait. Although the Freedom Party already has the motion ready in the drawer and has enough MPs to set it up, they have to wait for the possible black-red coalition talks.

At least a quarter of MPs (46) are needed to set up a sub-committee. The FPÖ has 57 MPs. The coronavirus investigation was a key election promise of the Blue Party, including a sub-committee. The Freedom Party has the motion for this ready and waiting in the drawer.

FPÖ does not want to shoot its powder yet
The next session of the National Council will take place on February 26. After the failure of the blue-black coalition, there were immediate rumors that the FPÖ would table the motion in the first session. Now that there may be renewed government negotiations between the ÖVP and SPÖ, the blue party must press the pause button.

FPÖ general was previously the blue "secret weapon" in various sub-committees

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

In the event of new elections, the U-committee would have to be terminated immediately
If there is no ÖVP-SPÖ government but new elections, the U-Committee would have to be terminated immediately. Procedural law stipulates that committees of inquiry must end at least three months before a National Council election so that they do not degenerate into an election campaign stage. From the point of view of the Freedom Party, it therefore makes no sense to request the committee now. 

The Corona U Committee was a hot topic in the blue-black negotiations because the ÖVP would not have accepted it under any circumstances. VP leader Christian Stocker said this right from the start. An investigation commission was apparently planned as a compromise. At least that's what Vienna FP leader Dominik Nepp suggested in a discussion on krone.tv.

These statements immediately caused outrage among FPÖ supporters in the scene of opponents of the corona measures. The FPÖ argued that, as a governing party, it was not absolutely necessary to set up a parliamentary sub-committee because the ministry documents could also be obtained in this way. It therefore does not matter what form the investigation takes. The main thing is that it takes place.