National Council Extradites ÖVP Member Gerstl

The National Council unanimously agreed to the "extradition" of ÖVP Member of Parliament and spokesperson for constitutional affairs Wolfgang Gerstl on Friday, thus paving the way for investigations by the public prosecutor's office. The members of parliament followed the recommendation of the Immunity Committee, which had previously found no connection between the suspicion of breach of official secrecy and Gerstl's political activities.

During the debate, FPÖ Member of Parliament Norbert Nemeth demanded that Gerstl be excluded from the Federal Election Authority until the allegations are clarified. The ÖVP expressed confidence that the allegations would not be substantiated.

Investigations for Suspected Breach of Official Secrecy

The Vienna public prosecutor's office had requested the lifting of Gerstl's immunity in order to initiate investigations into the suspicion of breach of official secrecy ahead of the Vienna State Election 2025. Several factual reports had been filed against Gerstl in this matter. After the allegations became known, Gerstl stated that he was "naturally interested in a comprehensive clarification of the facts" and promised the public prosecutor's office "full cooperation." He claimed to have a clear conscience and was confident that any allegations would be quickly clarified.

As reported by the "Kronen Zeitung" at the end of November, Gerstl allegedly contacted five voters who had submitted declarations of support for the "Fair" list a few weeks before the election on April 27, 2025, in violation of the rules. He is said to have even advised one person to sign a document stating that the support for the "Fair" list was not given with full knowledge of all the facts. Additionally, he allegedly passed on the name and data of at least one of these individuals to a party colleague. He obtained their contact details as a member of the election authority for the 14th district of Vienna.

Special Session on Tuesday

The "extradition" concluded the plenary session on Friday afternoon. The next session will take place on the upcoming Tuesday at 11 a.m., when the members of parliament will convene for a special session to decide on the energy cost relief announced by the government through distributions from state-affiliated companies.

(APA/Red)

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