Question about Corona disturbed

“Shame”: FPÖ politician breaks off ORF interview

FPÖ health spokeswoman Dagmar Belakowitsch-Jenewein accused a reporter of being paid by Biontech.(Bild: APA/HERBERT NEUBAUER)

It is well known that FPÖ politicians like to engage in verbal skirmishes with ORF journalists on camera. Now this special "relationship" has been enriched by a bizarre episode. At the center: the blue health spokeswoman Dagmar Belakowitsch-Jenewein. 

Specifically, it was about an interview for the ORF "Report" on Tuesday evening. Tuesday was the fifth anniversary of the first coronavirus case in Austria.

"Excess mortality in FPÖ strongholds"
The interviewer confronted the blue politician with an alleged "excess mortality in FPÖ strongholds" during the pandemic. The source referred to was a study by the University of Graz (see below).

I am not vaccinated. To this day, I have not had corona.

Dagmar Belakowitsch-Jenewein im ORF-„Report“

Belakowitsch accuses the interviewer of having been paid
This infuriated the avowed vaccination skeptic Belakowitsch-Jenewein. She first demanded information about the study before ranting: "That's ridiculous. What does that have to do with FPÖ strongholds? That's the biggest scam of all."

She then accused the reporter of being paid by the pharmaceutical company Biontech. "I don't know how much you get paid by Biontech," she accused the journalist before walking away.

Speaking of which: Patrick Mellacher, responsible for the study in question, has since spoken out via X and put the results on the table (see post below). 

FPÖ media spokesman Christian Hafenecker, on the other hand, complained about the report on Wednesday and called it a "nasty manipulation" for which ORF Director General Roland Weißmann owes an explanation.