After SPÖ accusations

Committee against Kickl could meet as early as the summer

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

After the SPÖ made accusations against FPÖ party leader Herbert Kickl, alleging that he had violated parliamentary transparency rules, the National Council's incompatibility committee is now likely to meet soon. Kickl himself could have his say there in a so-called inquiry procedure. The National Council ensured on Friday that the committee can also meet in the summer.

Green MP David Stögmüller, the chairman of the incompatibility committee, explained that he had received the SPÖ's request for a meeting and would deal with the points contained therein accordingly. "For us Greens, one thing is clear: the incompatibility committee is an important instrument of transparency in the Republic and these allegations should therefore be clarified quickly", he stated.

Kickl should be given the opportunity to clarify matters
Stögmüller now wants to enter into talks with all parliamentary groups. "We have to schedule a meeting of the incompatibility committee to deal with the reports received anyway and will then also be able to deal with the issues raised by the SPÖ," he said. On Friday in the National Council, Stögmüller had already emphasized that he wanted to give Kickl the opportunity to clarify the above-mentioned facts in the inquiry procedure and thus create transparency.

In the National Council, SPÖ MP Kai Jan Krainer had listed various professional functions and incomes as cases in which there may have been breaches of reporting and transparency obligations. Parliamentarians bear a high level of responsibility and are therefore obliged to be particularly transparent with regard to assets and income, Krainer emphasized.

FPÖ recognizes no misconduct
FPÖ MP Harald Stefan rejected the allegations that Kickl had received undeclared income as "unfounded" and said that the motion was due to the election campaign. The most recent parliamentary committee of inquiry had found no misconduct on the part of Klubobmann Kickl, and the FPÖ therefore looked forward to the meeting of the incompatibility committee with composure. However, it was problematic that the allegations relating to a company car had emerged after the unauthorized disclosure of tax files. Stefan saw this as a questionable procedure.

On Sunday, Freedom Party constitutional spokesperson Susanne Fürst then spoke of a "desperate attack by the system" and the next attempt to frame Kickl. "What our federal party chairman Herbert Kickl continues to be accused of here has already proven to be false and unfounded countless times," she explained.