ÖVP-U-Committee – Invitation “too short”: Karner will not come

Karner’s appeal, who has now canceled at least once before Wednesday, only came the day before at the request of the opposition groups – especially the SPÖ wants to question the department head. According to information from the parliamentary administration, this was not a formal summons, but a short-term ad hoc request, which meant that Karner was not formally on the summons list. The reason for the opposition’s request is the minister’s actions with regard to the summons of the former secretary general of the Ministry of Finance (and ex-BAG boss) Thomas Schmid.

Although he had moved abroad, he had received the subpoena, SPÖ faction leader Jan Krainer said the day before – Schmid even testified before the federal administrative court. Nevertheless, Karner informed the U-committee on Monday that Schmid would not be offered because the summons had not been received – the opposition now wants to question the minister about this. Karner’s office already rejected this representation on Tuesday: “The interior minister would have Thomas Schmid brought in immediately. But he can’t because there is no legal basis,” said a spokesman.

OMV week continues
The committee will continue on Wednesday with the questioning of a former OMV employee and former OMV chairman of the Supervisory Board Wolfgang C. Berndt. The question of who is responsible for Austria’s dependence on Russian gas is being re-emphasized. The day before, former OMV boss Gerhard Roiss had again criticized the strong Russia orientation in the gas supply after his departure as OMV chairman. OMV has “no strategy for security of gas supply in the event of a crisis, of which we are painfully aware today,” he said. He only explained to Berndt that he had co-signed this group strategy – “I don’t want to say more about the lord”.