Politics
The current schedule does not allow a “Vorarlberger day” in the ÖVP corruption investigation committee in Vienna. The affair about the ÖVP-Wirtschaftsbund is no longer dealt with there. Unless the committee is extended.
The “Vorarlberg days” in the U-Committee are numbered. For two days, the Wirtschaftsbund affair was the focus of the ÖVP corruption investigation committee in the National Council in Vienna. It will stay that way. The U-Committee still has six days of negotiations before it comes to an end. Thomas Schmid’s confession has flushed numerous new topics up the priority list – there is no longer any room for the affair about the ÖVP economic association in Vorarlberg. This is confirmed by several factions in the U-Committee.
Several people affected
For some of those involved, this means they no longer have to go to Vienna. This applies to Jürgen Kessler, for example. He was supposed to testify before the U-Committee in June, but had to cancel due to illness. Now it won’t load anymore. This also applies to the Wirtschaftsbund finance officer and entrepreneur Jürgen Rauch. Although he was in Vienna in June, there was no time left for his questioning. Rauch went home without having achieved anything, but it will stay that way.
The same applies to his predecessor Franz Rauch. Like the former chairman of the Wirtschaftsbund and President of the Chamber of Commerce, Hans-Peter Metzler, he is on the summons that was approved in July. You will not be questioned. The current chairman of the Wirtschaftsbund, Karlheinz Rüdisser, is also spared a trip to the sub-committee. After the survey in June, it was also in the room that Governor Markus Wallner (ÖVP) might have to testify again. That doesn’t happen anymore either. In addition to Wallner, Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) and two finance officials answered questions about the Economic Association.
Possible extension
SPÖ parliamentary group leader Jan Krainer does not want to completely close the Economic Association chapter. Tax officials from the department for large company audits are invited. If there is time, they could also be asked about the business association, says Krainer. And then there is a second possibility. NEOS actually declined to extend the U-Committee. After Thomas Schmid has not answered any questions recently, he should be loaded again. NEOS is therefore again in favor of an extension – but only for this survey.
The committee has requested a reconciliation penalty against Schmid. Depending on how the Federal Administrative Court decides, the penalty can end up before the Administrative Court. It may be a few months before a final decision is made on this. The committee could therefore be extended by several months. Theoretically, there would then be time for further survey days. And then the business association would suddenly have a place again, says Krainer. But as of now, there will be no further surveys about the cause. The next U-Committee meetings will take place on November 23rd and 24th.
Public prosecutor Feldkirch continues to investigate
Elsewhere it continues. The investigations by the Office of the Public Prosecutor for Economic Affairs and Corruption are still ongoing. The public prosecutor’s office in Feldkirch continues to investigate.