Following the commotion surrounding bodyguards of the chancellor’s family who were involved in a drunken accident, the opposition sees a great need for clarification. At the same time, Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) and the Cobra task force point out that the threat situation for politicians has increased, not least because of the pandemic. The extended protection for family members also means that officials are present if, for example, a child has driving lessons, according to Bernhard Treibenreif, head of the Special Forces/Eko Cobra Directorate.
“It has nothing to do with grocery shopping,” Treibenreif emphasized in an interview with the APA on Tuesday. And depending on vehicle availability and appointment scheduling, it may also happen and become necessary for a cop to drive with the family. , or a family member in the bodyguard’s official car.
The security guards do not have the authority to give instructions to the officials. You can’t push for another bodyguard either. However, the officials in question are likely to be replaced if the relationship of respect and trust between them and their departments is disrupted, the interior ministry said.
The “particularly vulnerable” officials
Speaking about the workload of the Cobra officials, Treibenreif said: Every day, more than 50 officials are on duty only for those who need constant protection – including the Federal President, the Chancellor, some ministers and some ambassadors, “those in particular danger”. With a total workforce of approximately 400, spread over eight locations throughout Austria. Only Burgenland does not have its own location: the district of Neusiedl am See is administered by the Cobra Vienna under co-supervision, the southern districts by Grazer Cobra and the other districts of the headquarters in Wiener Neustadt. According to the information, about a thousand hours of personal protection come together every week.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, there is usually one team per security guard, consisting of a driver and two bodyguards, around the clock. What that looks like in detail depends on several factors. The head of the DSE was unwilling or unable to comment further for tactical reasons. Personal protection during state visits – and especially the extent of it – is provided based on the respective risk situation.
Source: Krone
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