Nehammer: "In order to do politics, the peace of the dead is disturbed"

2023-11-22 08:51:08

He “has my trust,” the Chancellor emphasized to journalists on Wednesday. The late justice section chief Christian Pilnacek claimed in a recently published secret audio recording that the ÖVP and especially Sobotka had tried to intervene in investigations. Meanwhile, the ÖVP threw the name Stefan Petzner into the room as an accomplice.

The most recently suspended section chief Pilnacek, once the most powerful man in the Ministry of Justice, died a few weeks ago. Now a secret recording of a conversation Pilnacek had during an evening gathering with acquaintances in a pub at the end of July has emerged. Pilnacek can be heard saying that the ÖVP demanded that he stop investigations and stop house searches, which he always refused.

“The low point of the political debate”

Nehammer identified “a low point in the political debate.” “I have to say quite openly that I personally find what is happening here more than irreverent,” said the party leader in the press foyer after the Council of Ministers in response to questions from journalists. “In order to do politics, the peace of the dead is disturbed.” The Chancellor also accused journalists of this: “You wouldn’t ask me the question if you didn’t disturb the peace of the dead.” Pilnacek could no longer comment. “We are currently experiencing a low point in the political debate,” said Nehammer, adding that this was “morally unacceptable.” He will therefore not take part in this discussion.

Pilnacek mentioned the former Interior Minister and current National Council President Sobotka by name. The ÖVP is still not responding to the opposition’s calls for resignation: “Wolfgang Sobotka has my trust,” emphasized Nehammer in response to a relevant question. Nehammer, like his Secretary General Christian Stocker the day before, also pointed out that Pilnacek had clearly stated in investigative committees that there had been no interventions.

“I’m not assuming anything, but I’m asking questions”

Stocker raised questions about possible people behind the secret recording in another press conference a day later and also brought a name into play: the former BZÖ politician Stefan Petzner, who has connections to the FPÖ. Petzner said in an interview on oe24.tv on November 6, 2022: “There’s still a lot to come for Wolfgang Sobotka, he just doesn’t know it yet.” According to Stocker, these statements raise some questions “that need to be answered.”

Stocker says he doesn’t want to blame Petzner. “I’m not assuming anything, but I’m asking questions,” he said when asked. The statements made by the now political advisor were also made before the alleged recording date of the tape recording with Pilnacek. So the question is what information Petzner had and from whom. “These are questions that have to be asked. In my opinion, Stefan Petzner will have to answer them,” said the ÖVP general secretary.

ÖVP is considering legal action

The ÖVP is now also considering legal action against the as yet unknown people behind the recording. “We will examine which criminally relevant facts have been realised.” But Stocker also sees the media as having a duty: “Now is the time to take a look.” The ÖVP General Secretary once again spoke of secret service methods and said: “These methods have caused great damage in our republic in the past.”

The Greens continue to react cautiously. Health Minister Johannes Rauch, who was present in the press foyer as a Green Party representative, pointed out that his party colleague Justice Minister Alma Zadic was the “guarantor” that things would be clarified – “calmly, with all care, with all clarity”. Secretary General Olga Voglauer also said on Tuesday that if she were Sobotka, she would have “taken her hat long ago to protect the reputation of this high office,” given previous allegations.