Due to serious allegations of corruption against the People’s Party, the SPÖ calls on Wednesday, Chancellor Karl Nehammer, to parliament. In an urgent request titled “End VP Corruption Instead of Sitting Out,” she demands a comprehensive anti-corruption package from the ÖVP leader. The NEOS also want stricter measures. They give the government a “deadline” for implementation.
The opposition is collectively demanding new elections – necessary from the point of view of the SPÖ, FPÖ and NEOS because the People’s Party is too involved in corruption cases. At the same time, however, immediate measures are needed “to strengthen transparency, education and decency”, as the Social Democrats put it in their urgent request. So far, all attempts to do so have failed because of the ÖVP. The SPÖ accuses Nehammer of wanting to “come out and stay in power”.
Specifically, the SPÖ calls on the government to submit bills that, among other things, criminalize bribing election candidates and tighten corruption penalties for top politicians. For example, corruption offenses should no longer be time-barred so quickly. In addition, functions in the public sector must be made transparent and an independent federal prosecutor’s office is installed.
“Anti-corruption package under the Christmas tree”
At today’s special session, NEOS will also introduce several legislative proposals aimed at closing the gaps in the fight against abuse of office. The deadline that the NEOS demanded: mid-December, then you can put “a real anti-corruption law under the Christmas tree” in Austria. In the absence of a majority, however, these motions have little chance of success.
Also the motion of no confidence against the entire government, which the FPÖ has prepared, has virtually no chance. In addition, the Freedom Party is demanding a “Lex Sobotka” and is filing a motion to amend the constitution so that the National Council can again vote its president out, which is currently not possible. Wolfgang Sobotka, suspected of interfering with tax audits, is also chairing the special session of the National Council today.
Source: Krone
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