ÖVP MP Andreas Hanger also lost a case against FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl in the second instance. Hanger had accused Kickl of being involved in the secret recording or publication of the so-called “Pilnacek files”. In the spring, the ÖVP MP was ordered by the Vienna Commercial Court not to file this claim or to withdraw it. Hanger appealed and the Vienna Higher Regional Court (OLG) now confirmed the first instance.
Hanger had claimed that Kickl was involved in the secret recording or publication of a private conversation with former legal department chief Christian Pilnacek. The recordings made in a restaurant were released on November 21, 2023. A day later, Hanger said on krone.tv that Kickl had at least checked the publication of the recordings and that he believed that the “poisoner of the well” Kickl was involved in the case.
Kickl has filed a lawsuit against Hanger’s statement
The commercial court had fully upheld a lawsuit that Kickl had filed for this reason. The OLG now followed suit: the statement was not an assessment, as Hanger had put forward, but rather a factual statement. This follows from the general context of the question (“Mr. Hanger, do you have any suspicions about who controls the whole thing and who the whole thing comes from?”) and Hanger’s answers (“But yes, of course.”), “Yes, quite clearly from the FPÖ, we know that too.” and “… but the main poisoner of the well is Mr. Kickl, that’s just the way it is, and I trust that he will do that, yes.”), according to the OLG’s finding.
The court continued that it was not clear from the facts that Kickl was involved in the production or publication of the audio recording. Hanger no longer claimed the former during the trial. As for Kickl’s involvement in the publication, the ÖVP MP is “only guessing”. He has not provided any evidence of this.
The legal remedies have almost been exhausted
There is no longer a normal appeal against the decision. Hanger, however, still has an extraordinary revision available.
“We are very pleased that the three-member Senate has now come to the conclusion in the appeal hearing that Mr Hanger is no longer spreading unfounded accusations,” FPÖ Secretary General Christian Hafenecker said in a broadcast. In this case, the ÖVP MP went too far. “His fictitious accusations against the FPÖ and Herbert Kickl amount to slander, insult to honour and damage to creditworthiness, and we must defend ourselves against such serious violations.”
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.
