The mayor of Vienna and the SPÖ are seeking refuge in the offensive. The Treasury Secretary is talking about the protective shield and the billions of aid from the federal government.
“What affair? So far we have not needed one euro of taxpayers’ money.” The mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig, has been amazed at the excitement over the multi-billion dollar injection requested for Wien Energie to provide liquidity in urgent need. Ludwig, who had previously single-handedly played 1.4 billion for the group, and the SPÖ are probably just surprised.
Wien Energie speculated on the stock market, speculated wrong, so the conjecture. E-Control now also says that Vienna should have pulled out of risky business in time. Ludwig, his financial adviser Peter Hanke and their Wien Energie reject the allegations.
SPÖ Vice Jörg Leichtfried targets Finance Minister Magnus Brunner. He was the first to speak of alleged speculation. Leichtfried accuses him and the ÖVP of “defamatory statements”. The SPÖ criticizes that the federal government has not put up a protective shield like the Germans. ÖVP General Laura Sachslehner speaks of “perpetrator-victim reversal”.
Vienna must provide answers by mid-September
What does the finance minister say? “None of the other providers we are in lively exchange with are complaining about problems or demanding an umbrella.” Vienna is an isolated case. Moreover, rapid aid would not have worked: aside from possible speculation that would prevent state aid, “Wien Energie should have disclosed its activities first. The test would have taken a long time,” said the ministry, especially since the Viennese knocked on the door without warning. The federal government is now sending a law/finance expert to the group’s supervisory board.
On Thursday, Vienna signed the contract with the federal financing agency, which will release two billion euros in the shortest possible time in an emergency. Condition for this: rapid clarification of the background to the transactions of Wien Energie (the Court of Audit is also looking into the matter). According to Brunner, that should happen in mid-September. All of this should give the Wiener Reds more headache than the Wiener Blues’ complaint against Ludwig for abuse of office.
Source: Krone
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