The commission’s start with the ‘red-blue abuse of power’ backfired: former Secretary General Peter Goldgruber refused to make any statement and an entire day of interrogation was canceled due to a huge loss of witnesses. Some prominent people are expected to provide information next week, including FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl.
The next round in the parliamentary investigation committee set up by the ÖVP starts on Wednesday. There is nothing at all about the alleged abuse of power; the People’s Party focuses entirely on the FPÖ for time and electoral reasons.
The head of the Court of Audit is being questioned
The first person invited to provide information is the President of the Court of Audit, Margit Kraker. The People’s Party hopes to shed more light on the term of office of former Blue Social Minister Beate Hartinger-Klein.
From January 2018 to May 2019, Hartinger Klein was also responsible for work and health in Sebastian Kurz’s first cabinet. Kraker had criticized the lack of access to files during the FPÖ minister’s term in office.
A penalty is threatened
The RH president is followed by a high-ranking Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which should discuss Kickl’s term as Minister of the Interior. The last person expected to provide information on Wednesday is Hartinger-Klein himself, who was also invited by the ÖVP. She had already canceled once and that is why she is threatening a fine. Now there is official confirmation.
Thursday will then be devoted to questioning Kickl himself, from whom there is a firm commitment. Reinhard Teufel, who was Kickl’s chief of staff as Minister of the Interior, also agreed – again. He had actually already agreed to the start of the U-Committee, but was subsequently no longer invited by the ÖVP, only to be invited again. Teufel is now FPÖ club president in the Lower Austrian state parliament, where a turquoise-blue coalition exists.
An employee of the communications department of the FPÖ club was also invited again and will now have the opportunity to answer questions again on Thursday. His arrival is still open. The first person to provide information on Thursday is a lawyer from the Ministry of the Interior. He was also deputy office manager of the General Secretariat headed by Peter Goldgruber.
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.
