Omnipotence fantasies: ÖVP attacks against Neos MPs

NEOS parliamentary group leader Stephanie Krisper(Image: APA / Roland Schlager)

---

Neos MP Stephanie Krisper gets on the nerve of the ruling party ÖVP. That's how it should be that's how opposition works. Krisper does a good job in the parliamentary commission of investigation in Ibiza the panicked reaction of the ÖVP cannot be explained otherwise. Her Turkish colleague Klaus Fürlinger who is also a member of the committee calls for a prosecutor's review of the questionable activities Krispers in the committee.

Apart from the fact that Krisper can accept this threat as an award such statements reveal a highly questionable attitude towards democracy and the separation of powers. Here, a lawyer who is also a lawyer wants to send a colleague to the prosecutor because her job does not suit him. Next time he may threaten to have the police pick her up if she asks critical questions again.

The omnipotence fantasies of some in the ÖVP go too far. There are also others in this new People's Party who, for example, measure journalists during a press conference if they disagree with their questions. Such an approach cannot be tolerated. This is where the party leadership should act and call on their MPs to moderate if they do not want to face the accusation of endorsing or even engaging in such behavior.

For Meinl-Reisinger, the ÖVP attack is a new category. A member of the ÖVP is trying to put Krisper under pressure and to silence him. That also shows that this does a good job. Krisper had clearly sided with the judiciary in the dispute between the authorities especially between the commercial and corruption prosecutors and the special commission of the police and had made subordinate statements against the investigators of the executive who Soko called supposedly heroic and attested to her as embarrassing because she did not ask the creators of the Ibiza video for the publication. This in turn resulted in harsh criticism from the police union.

The dispute between ÖVP and NEOS went into a hot phase just before Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) appeared before the committee of inquiry. Briefly, primarily on Wednesday, should provide information about possible post clerks in the gaming sector. According to the Kurier, the SPÖ and NEOS want to oblige the chancellor to disclose his diary. It should disclose all entries from meetings with people who have a connection to the subject of the investigation.