Internal disputes – ex-head of medical association starts petition for new elections

Szekeres said this in an interview. He has sharply criticized the recent internal quarrels in the Chamber. This was “self-involved,” he complained. Szekeres had been replaced as head of the chamber last year. The former vice-president Johannes Steinhart, whose doctors’ association emerged as the strongest group in the previous elections, managed to forge a coalition and became the new president of the Vienna Medical Association.

Szekeres has held the office since 2012. He also lost his position as president of the Austrian Chamber because only one of the nine state presidents can be elected president of the federal representation. The latest internal disputes flared up after the accusations against the purchasing platform Equip4Ordi (E4O) sounded loud.

suspicion of infidelity
This is an outsourced subsidiary of the Curia of local doctors. The Public Prosecution Service is investigating the alleged abuses on suspicion of infidelity, favoritism and serious fraud. The allegations are directed against the two ex-directors of the shopping platform and an employee of the Chamber of Vienna. All three suspects claim that they acted at the behest or with the approval of Steinhart, who was the head of the local curia at the time. Steinhart has always denied this.

“Unusual Situation”
Recently, representatives around the chairman of the general practitioners, Erik Randall Huber, had split off from the doctors’ association. This led, among other things, to the fact that the Szekeres team with 18 mandates (out of a total of 90, note) mutated into the currently strongest fraction. In any case, the former president is disappointed, he emphasized. “Colleague Steinhart was elected president by an overwhelming majority. And soon after, his own people launched media campaigns against him and wanted to get rid of him. This is an unusual situation. Unfortunately, the medical association has to deal with itself.”

As a result, Szekeres concluded that there was insufficient capacity for the problems that arose. He couldn’t understand why they wanted to get rid of Steinhart. ,,I’m a bit surprised.” Szekeres stated that scandals – perhaps so-called scandals – are brought forward. Because there are still no test results from the Public Prosecution Service, the regulator or the Court of Auditors. These are the authorities that must investigate the allegations.

Whether the allegations were justified, he himself could not judge. Even as president, he himself had no insight into the company, as it belonged to the curia of local doctors. As president, he has no influence here, the Curia has partial jurisdiction. “The president cannot make decisions, but must implement resolutions.”

return planned
Possible consequences should only be drawn after possible research results, said the ex-president. Steinhart must therefore come back and continue to do business. The president resigned in April due to illness, but would soon return.

“He just has to make sure he gets majorities for his plans,” Szekeres stressed. The majorities would have shifted after the spin-off. “At the moment I don’t see a clear majority on one side or the other. That is why we would like to see new elections, in the hope that there will be a clear majority.”

A two-thirds majority in the General Assembly would be required to pass a new election proposal. “But that is not foreseeable at the moment.” To achieve this, a petition is now being launched to promote new elections among the medical profession.

“No Longer Portable”
Since the whole situation is “no longer acceptable”, according to the petition new elections are demanded in the Vienna Medical Association. Is he himself interested in returning to the top of the room? “Not at the moment,” Szekeres assured, “We have an elected president who should.” If a new one is elected, the question of majorities will arise again. “And then you have to look.”