The Ibiza video was published exactly four years ago on the day. The NEOS takes this opportunity to criticize the new criminal law regulations on corruption. The government’s draft still contains numerous gaps. “Ibiza is still possible,” says deputy NEOS club president Nikolaus Scherak. Criticism also came from key experts and institutions.
While the NEOS welcomes the fact that the turquoise-green federal government agreed to revise the law four years after the publication of the Ibiza video, the devil is in the details. Corruption in Austria will only be a “matter of timing” in the future, says Scherak: “A corrupt politician just has to time his corruption well, then nothing will happen.”
law toothless?
Scherak alludes to the fact that agreements for a new election decision would have no consequences. The same applies if an official position is no longer needed after an election to fulfill the promises – if a politician does not become a minister. “This will fail to nip the rampant corruption in Austria in the bud,” said Scherak.
Accepting or promising money for political office becomes a criminal offence. However, it remains expressly permitted to pay someone compensation so that he renounces his candidacy. “That too is post-corruption,” says Scherak: “But no money is allowed to flow at all in connection with political mandates.”
“Ibiza remains a guide”
The ÖVP and the Greens had missed the chance for a big hit, thus the finding. Ibiza should have been a “wake-up call”, Scherak argued. Instead, the video remains a guide to the future, how to ignore the rule of law and open the floodgates to corruption. The responsible Minister of Justice Alma Zadic (Greens) must take the criticism seriously and fill the remaining gaps in the bill.
The Pinks are not alone in their criticism of the draft, whose review period expired in early March. The Public Prosecutor’s Office for Economic Affairs and Corruption (WKStA), the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Higher Regional Courts in Vienna and Graz also find several provisions too vague. The WKStA also complained that not only should it be punishable if a mandate is granted, but that the attempt should also be punished.
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.
