“We were never black and never turquoise, but always blue and yellow,” Bernhard Ebner, state director of the ÖVP Lower Austria, distinguishes himself from his party colleagues in the federal government. In federal politics there is only hatred, strife and opposition. The recently launched investigations into the cause of the advertisement and possible illegal party financing of the ÖVP in Lower Austria are merely “election campaign tactics”. And a clean slate is also promised with regard to the upper limit of the costs for the election campaign: “Everything will be done to comply with this,” says the Lower Austrian party leader in a live conversation with moderator Conny Winiwarter.
Ebner argues that this election campaign ceiling has been breached for the third time in a row saying “There is a lot of gray area”. Currently investigatingThe public prosecutor’s office has charged against the ÖVP Niederösterreich on suspicion of infidelity. The accusation: state-owned companies had placed overpriced advertisements in media close to the ÖVP.
With that they say you give yourself money. The FPÖ speaks of the “ÖVP circular economy”, the NEOS of a “corruption problem” and the SPÖ of “a red line”. He speaks of “campaign tactics”.
“Anyone can see my private chats”
The accompanying audit report from the Court of Audit is already on the table. The results? They see no gross violation of the ÖVP. The opposition diagnoses an “incomplete, embellished and veiled” report. The ÖVP, of course, sees this very differently. Ebner on this: “Since the result does not fit in with the electoral campaign strategy of the other parties, the Court of Auditors is now under attack,” Ebner counterattacked. In any case, he has nothing to hide: “Anyone can look into my private chats”.
All against the ÖVP: Nobody wants the fairness deal
No one wanted to sign the self-proclaimed “Confidence Alliance for Lower Austria” for the upcoming January state elections. During the negotiations for the fairness deal, everyone slipped “like dominoes one after another,” Ebner said. Among other things, the Lower Austrian ÖVP wanted to prevent “dirty campaigns, damage to advertising material and insults” – and to create transparency.
The reason for the rejection of the opposition is not that the content of the agreement is actually self-evident – or at least it should be. In Ebner’s view, the rejection is much more proof that “the nastiest election campaign of all time is imminent”.
Fence as border security? “Worth a discussion”
The ÖVP state manager agrees with the initiative of Europe Minister Edtstadler and Chancellor Nehammer to consider a fence – albeit cautiously – as external border protection: “This measure should be discussed”. The general starting point for asylum policy in Lower Austria? “We support the weakest, but not the boldest.”
You can see the entire interview with Bernhard Ebner in the video above. KroneLIVE can be seen from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m.
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Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
