The hunter missed again. Stefan Weber, the infamous revealer of copied scientific statements from celebrities, is increasingly in his crosshairs. Current case: the dissertation of Susanne Raab, Minister for Integration and Family of the ÖVP.
Weber had in his diploma thesis “lots of plagiarism and nonsense”. The University of Innsbruck, where Raab received his master’s and doctoral degrees, had his work examined by external experts. Result: no plagiarism. No intention to deceive. The minister may retain her title. “There was no plagiarism, so the proceedings were stopped,” said a brief statement from Raab’s ministry.
“17 Plagiarism Fragment”
Raab completed her diploma studies with the thesis “Attitudinal structures and life meanings of volunteers” and obtained her doctorate in law. The ministry had already spoken about absurd accusations at the beginning of the audit. Weber, however, stuck to his analysis. He kept “17 plagiarism fragments” on 84 pages of continuous text, often up to half a page long.
According to the University of Innsbruck, the report sees no need to investigate the matter further.
Weber, who has a PhD in communication science, has recently had to face some setbacks. The list is long. Here’s an excerpt:
- Susanne Raab, Minister of Family Affairs (ÖVP)
- Margarete Schramböck, former Minister of Economic Affairs (ÖVP)
- Niki Popper, mathematician and simulation researcher (Covid pandemic)
- Johannes Hahn, former Minister of Science and EU Commissioner (ÖVP)
- Peter Pilz, debunker and ex-politician (Greens)
- Gerhard Karner, Minister of the Interior (ÖVP)
- Alma Zadic, Minister of Justice (Greens)
- Thomas Drozda, cultural manager and former Minister of the Chancellery (SPÖ)
- Bogdan Rošcic, director of the State Opera
Weber is always very annoyed when his analyzes remain inconsistent and speaks of ‘university corruption’. The anger is mutual. Peter Pilz, for example, remembers it. He had once instructed the Salzburger to look at the dissertation of the ÖVP politician Johannes Hahn – once Minister of Science, now EU Commissioner. Conclusion: serious suspicion of plagiarism.
“Polemical and unscientific”
Pilz: ‘But the way he presented it linguistically was simply polemical and unscientific.’ Weber was very angry at the time and, as a kind of retaliation, looked at Peter Pilz’s dissertation in economics. Weber stated that Pilz had committed “self-plagiarism.” He essentially stole intellectual property from himself.
Specifically, Pilz allegedly submitted a study co-authored with a second author without correctly identifying him. As in so many other cases, there was no consequence. Stefan Weber has certainly made a name for himself in this area. And certainly developed a good business model.
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.
