[ad_1]
Two important donors are today in the information persons of Committee U: Klaus Ortner and Hans Peter Haselsteiner.
In May 2019, the so-called “Ibiza Video” turned Austria’s political landscape upside down. It led to the outbreak of the turquoise blue coalition and catapulted the then head and vice chancellor of the FPÖ, Heinz-Christian Strache, to the bench. The political reevaluation now follows a year later in the Ibiza parliamentary inquiry commission. “Die Presse” keeps you informed of the Hofburg updates throughout the day.
Ortner At first he described his enthusiasm for Sebastian’s “New ÖVP” Short (ÖVP). Ortner had become increasingly dissatisfied with the “stalemate in the grand coalition”, then initially he had done so with Kurz ‘ JVP I want to “support something in line with my worldview.” “I couldn’t take it anymore,” the businessman said in his opening statement about the SPÖ-ÖVP government, which was replaced by a ÖVP-FPÖ government in 2017. “Much has been left behind and very little has been changed, the disputes became bigger and bigger. I hope you understand that this situation was difficult for the entrepreneurs to bear. ” In one or more meetings, Ortner was really excited about Kurz. Ortner spoke of “clear views and perspectives regarding performance and the economy,” as well as the “momentum” of today’s chancellor, which “really impressed him”: “I also felt it was time for the next generation after me, “he said. Ortner, 76. First, he once donated around 100,000 euros to the JVP, the short-lived president. “After seeing the work of the large group committed to their determination and limited resources, I decided that I want to be more generous. I keep it, I have never regretted it. “
Haselsteiner ruled out advantages and disadvantages for Strabag in the reign of turquoise blue with reference to adjudication processes, for the Westbahn has downsides dice. When it comes to Westbahn-related awards, in which Haselsteiner is significantly involved through his private family foundation, he felt he was not being treated fairly, which is why the billionaire told the then Minister of Transport and now head of FPÖ , Norbert. Hofer: “Hofer will not be my friend.”
the Strabag They should no longer receive public contracts, Strache had declared in Ibiza: If the supposed oligarch founded a construction company and the FPÖ was in power, such contracts could be awarded to this company. “It’s not good if you appear in this video and they show you,” Haselsteiner said of the scandalous video. “People spoke here who have little idea on the subject and have created an appearance that is inconsistent with reality. It would have been nice if it hadn’t been.”
“In total I donated around a million”, Ortner explained. In the 2017 election year alone, the ÖVP received € 438,000. It all started with donations to the JVP. “I offered the support personally, not only, but also financially.” I met the legal requirements, ”Ortner said of the donation denominations. “If that doesn’t fit the law, you have to change it – what has happened in the meantime. “Donations were made in such amounts that immediate publication on the home page of the Court of Accounts could be avoided. He never asked for anything in return, according to Ortner. General discussion on the economic, social and political situation.” I never made demands or demanded Nothing, “emphasized Ortner, who never mentioned the twelve-hour day or the reduction in employer social security contributions. He explained that one suffers a lot from the bureaucracy and the so-called gold plating (overcompliance, note) of the rules of The EU.
Haselsteiner also emphasized that he “nothing to do” with the Ibiza video to have. That applies to creation, and it was never offered. “No, I did not place an order and did not participate in the creation”, responded to relevant questions from ÖVP and FPÖ. “I am not aware of that.” He also does not know the alleged initiators of the video, neither the Viennese lawyer N. nor the detective Julian H. had testified immediately before in an appointment with the criminal police. When asked if he had offered a reward for Strache, as he claimed, Haselsteiner said: “Mr. Strache would not be worth a reward to me.”
Wolfgang, leader of the ÖVP parliamentary group Gerstl He had a sequence of the Ibiza video that was shown during the survey, that is, a scene on the terrace of the farm, in which Strache, Gudenus and a third person can be seen from behind. The conversation remained completely incomprehensible due to the quality of the sound. Apparently, Strache brought Haselsteiner in connection Masonic lodges, because Gerstl asked the businessman about the demonstration at this address. “Yes, I am an avowed Freemason, that is well known by the media,” said Haselsteiner, who in any case did not want to give any information about the lodges and other members. “The Social Democrats have very strong boxes,” Gerstl quoted from the video. “You won’t get any information from me as to who is a member of the lodge and who is not. Please ask me something else that makes more sense,” he told Gerstl. Trial judge Wolfgang Pöschl also emphasized that the questions must be related to the subject of the investigation. Inquiries from “lodge brothers” cannot be investigated, Pöschl said.
too Haselsteiner Donations to the Neos The topic was: You don’t know how much you donated, but this can be found in the Court of Auditors, Haselsteiner says, because everything has been made transparent. Gerstl asked if it was two million euros. That could be it, Haselsteiner replied. Why did you donate another 300,000 euros to the Pinkies shortly before the new party finance law went into effect? Because he believes that the new regulation is a “gag law” that puts small parties at a disadvantage and “wants to set an example again.” Haselsteiner was very excited about Gerstl’s efforts to build connections between giving to the Neos and his work on the ORF Board of Trustees, to which he was sent by the Neos, and to build pink legislative initiatives. The industrialist replied that it was a drag.
Leitner explained his Donation to a ÖVP candidate: In 2017, she donated 10,000 euros in Seeboden am Millstätter See to another Seeboden hotelier and candidate for the ÖVP national council through a hotel operating company that she owned. His position on the supervisory board has nothing to do with it. He sent the donation directly to Sigismund. Moerisch, transferred to the current chairman of the hotel industry of the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce that he had nothing to do with the ÖVP. Moerisch was ranked fifth in the Carinthia-West regional constituency on the “Sebastian Kurz – The New People’s Party” list. Her hotel’s operating company would also have donated if the hotelier had entered the race for the Neos or the SPÖ, the Carinthian native emphasized. The decision to donate was made in conjunction with your hotel’s operating company. After all, the region lived mainly off tourism. The donation was also “an extension of efforts” that began in 2015 with the launch of the “Initiative for Carinthia”. Leitner co-founded this initiative and emphasized its fairness. Leitner demonstrated that the donation went directly to candidate Moerisch with a transfer confirmation. The 10,000 euros would have been used for an electoral act in another Seeboden inn, what was left was destined for posters. Moerisch suggested that. There was no concrete agreement with her.
Leitner stayed Member of the Supervisory Board of ÖBB Holding AG, when renewing castling under the turquoise green. It was originally from ÖVP traffic spokesman Andreas. Ottenschläger has been addressed. “Believe me, when I was asked if I was interested in joining the supervisory board of the ÖBB AG holding company and becoming a member there, it took me a long, long time to respond,” Leitner said. “But there were two main reasons why I accepted this position: it is a great and extremely important company for Austria. If someone like me, who advocates for women to occupy management positions in all kinds of situations, I cannot Cancel. A decision of this magnitude is enormous. It has nothing to do with my donation through our hotel. “
By the way, with a donation of 100,000 euros in the election campaign of the federal president, Leitner was the biggest donor of the later deputy Neos Irmgard. Griss. “I would never have expected anything in return for a federal president.” A woman with that profile should simply have been promoted to federal president in the 21st century. “Even where I supported Mr. Sigi Moerisch, it was beyond any idea that anything in return could come.” With Kurz she is known, but she is not a confidante, as is sometimes rumored in the media. He last saw him a year and a half ago.
The ÖVP takes action against the fact that the leader of the FPÖ parliamentary group, Christian Hafenecker his convocation to Committee U has been annulled with the votes of all the other parties. The corresponding application from the ÖVP to the Constitutional Court (VfGH) is now available. The Turquoises want to ask Hafenecker in his previous role as Secretary General of the FPÖ about the Ibiza video and donation flows. The Constitutional Court should point out that there is a factual connection between Hafeneckers’ desired shipment and Committee U’s investigation objects and that the dispute over the shipment is illegal, according to the ÖVP’s request. As managing director, Hafenecker had been briefed on the financial management of the Freedom Party, Strache, and former club president Johann Gudenus, stood up, it says in the app accordingly. Hafenecker himself said Thursday that he was “ready at any time to be available to the U Committee as an information person.” “If the ÖVP’s disruptive maneuver is that important, then I urge you to testify as quickly as possible so that I can focus on my reconnaissance activities again,” Hafenecker said. The ÖVP could “save” the way for the VfGH: “The VfGH certainly has more important things to do than instruct the ÖVP that I was the secretary general and not the managing director of the FPÖ,” as the ÖVP erroneously stated in its application. have written.