The Independent Party Transparency Senate (UTPS) has now made a final decision on the possible illegal donations to the Austrian Senior Association. The competent authority determines that the Seniorenbond is attributable to the ÖVP. Because the income and expenditure were not declared, the People’s Party must now pay a fine of 15,000 euros. This could mean that millions in corona aid also have to be repaid.
The reason for the decision of the Senate was the annual accounts of the ÖVP from 2019. The consequences of Monday’s decision could go much further than a fine. Because the question of whether the senior organization ÖVP is seen as part of the party or as an independent association is also decisive for the imminent repayment of the corona aid.
No Corona help for party organizations
The department of Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) is currently investigating the recovery of corona aid that five state associations of the Senior Association received from the fund for non-profit organizations (NPO fund). In the case of the Upper Austrian Senior Association alone, this amounts to around two million euros.
The decisive question here is whether the recipients are actually independent associations or sub-organizations of the ÖVP. Because as party organizations they would not be entitled to Corona aid.
The UPTS has now given a hint in that direction with its decision, even if the reason was not the Corona support. Because the ÖVP did not list the income and expenditure of the Senior Association there in 2019, the Court of Auditors contacted the UPTS. And he has now confirmed his position, already taken in 2018, that the Seniorenbond should be considered part of the ÖVP and should therefore appear in the annual report. The ÖVP was fined 15,000 euros for this. The admissibility of the NPO aid to be checked by Kogler was not the subject of the proceedings.
Party seniors and club with the same boss
Crucial to the decision of the UPTS were especially the strong overlaps in personnel between the senior organization of the ÖVP and the formally independent associations. In Upper Austria, for example, former governor Josef Pühringer acted as chairman of both the party leadership and the association. The Senate also points out that the Seniorenbond itself called itself a sub-organization of the ÖVP on the internet last year. All in all, the Senate therefore sees a “determining influence” of the party organization on the association organization.
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.
