Greens on the Kickl system:

Greens against Kickl: “Blue pact against Austria”

SPÖ-FPÖ committee: In their final report, the Greens take aim at the blue party leader Herbert Kickl.(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

The Greens have now also poured their findings from the ÖVP-appointed U-committee on the "red-blue abuse of power" into a report. They are mainly targeting former Interior Minister and FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl and see a "blue pact against Austria". 

Despite initial fears that the "red-blue U-committee" could merely serve as a "counter-attack" by the ÖVP on the COFAG committee of inquiry set up by the SPÖ and FPÖ, the Greens have identified "remarkable findings". And these primarily concern the FPÖ.

"Has the FPÖ enriched itself at the expense of the people in this country? Yes, it has!" emphasized Green parliamentary group leader Meri Disoski.

"Post pandering, self-enrichment"
The report proves this with "examples of post pandering and self-enrichment, attempts to cover up failed marketing gags and manipulative media policy", it says.

"Message control in blue"
The Greens have identified four pillars of the "blue pact". Disoski spoke of "message control in blue" and a "parallel media universe" that the FPÖ had built up with the aim of buying coverage with advertisements. Furthermore, the blue party had "shamelessly enriched itself, for example by Kickl turning his department into a "salary paradise" as Minister of the Interior. Another example is the "Ideenschmiede" agency co-founded by Kickl.

Further points of criticism from the Greens concern the "obvious cover-up attempt at the expense of patients" following the questioning of former Health Minister Beate Hartinger-Klein (FPÖ) regarding the "patient billion" promised by the ÖVP-FPÖ government, which turned out to be a "colossal flop".

According to Disoski, however, the issue that will occupy parliament for the longest will be the Blue Party's contacts with Russia, which will be investigated by a special U-committee.

Final reports will be forwarded to the plenary of the National Council
Both sub-committees met for a final meeting on Monday to forward their final reports to the plenary session of the National Council. With the start of the final discussion in the National Council, the work of the sub-committees is formally concluded.