The events surrounding Wien Energie’s financing needs are now likely to have political implications for the SPÖ. The opposition parties are already forming to investigate the exact processes of city politics – in addition to the FPÖ and the Greens, the Vienna ÖVP has now also shown that it is not averse to setting up a corresponding commission of inquiry. The accusation: Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) would not have informed “immediately” about the granting of emergency loans.
The Viennese opposition parties could soon set up a municipal commission of inquiry. ÖVP club boss Markus Wölbitsch confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday that talks are planned. While Wien Energie cannot be a direct subject of the committee, the political processes in the area can be.
Wölbitsch and financial spokesman Manfred Juraczka announced initiatives to clarify the matter. Talks are underway with the other opposition parties. “I don’t want to anticipate what form it will be in,” said the club president.
Political decisions in pictures
A subcommittee – which was recently there for the Noorderziekenhuis or for partisan associations, for example – might not have the board of the public utility company on the subject, but the political decisions in this regard could very well be considered. For example, the Supervisory Board tasks of the city council could be discussed here, it says.
ÖVP could provide the necessary signatures
In principle, the opposition in Vienna can initiate such a committee, albeit not one party alone. A minimum of 30 signatures are required for an application. The largest opposition party, the ÖVP, has 22 seats in the city parliament, the Greens 16 and the FPÖ 8.
The Greens already announced on Tuesday that they wanted to approach the ÖVP about this. The FPÖ also calls for a commission of inquiry.
ÖVP locates “gambling mood”
Wölbitsch and Juraczka once again criticized the fact that Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) had not previously informed about the city’s credit lines for Wien Energie – a first tranche flowed here as early as July. According to the city’s constitution, he should have informed the responsible city council committee “immediately”, they said. According to the ÖVP, waiting two months for the first regular meeting does not meet these requirements.
For the Vienna People’s Party, Wien Energie’s liquidity needs are the result of a “gambling mood”. In Vienna, it was criticized, there was always speculation with taxpayers’ money – with the former franc loans as an example.
Source: Krone
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