NEOS: People's patience with the ÖVP is over

2023-11-21 16:09:36

Hoyos: “The mere appearance of a system of abuse of power and attempted influence on the judiciary by the Chancellor’s party is causing serious damage to our democracy.”

Vienna (OTS) – “The water damage in the republic, which the Federal President identified, has become worse today by a burst pipe,” says NEOS Secretary General Douglas Hoyos regarding the current media reports surrounding alleged statements by the recently deceased Christian Pilnacek. “And once again the ÖVP is the focus.”

The statements of the former section head suggested a system that is unworthy of a democratic constitutional state, said Hoyos: “We are talking about abuse of power, pressure and attempted influence on the independent judiciary, by ‘the ÖVP’ as a whole and especially by the second highest man in the system Country. The mere appearance of such a system of abuse of power by the Chancellor’s party is causing serious damage to our democracy. It is incidents like these that destroy people’s trust that everyone is equal before the law.”

The people in Austria now expect an immediate and complete clarification of the statements. Hoyos: “The ÖVP has a duty to provide this information quickly and completely. Where there are already concrete suspicions, we trust that the responsible authorities will take action on their own initiative. It has been more than ten years since the ÖVP promised, after scandals, to renew itself and follow a code of honor in the future. There is less honor and decency to be seen in the ÖVP today than ever before. People’s patience is running out. As long as this ÖVP is in government, it will hardly be possible to restore citizens’ trust in our constitutional state and our democracy. And with regard to the people mentioned, we say: Whoever heads the House of Democracy must be above suspicion.”