U-Committee: Live Broadcast Topic on Wednesday

Representatives of the parliamentary parties will discuss on Wednesday afternoon (2 PM) in the National Council's Rules of Procedure Committee whether the upcoming committee of inquiry regarding the Pilnacek case could be broadcast live. An agreement was considered unlikely in advance. Recently, however, the Second President of the National Council, Peter Haubner (ÖVP), stated that such a procedure is "quite possible." The FPÖ referred to an application submitted by them in response to an APA inquiry - it is a "question of willingness."

Concerns Present

The Second President of the National Council, Haubner, said at the end of October that there is a clear commitment from all factions to implement live broadcasts. However, there are still concerns regarding the personal rights of the informants. Before Haubner, the President of the National Council, Walter Rosenkranz (FPÖ), had already shown optimism that a change in the rules of procedure could be decided. Nevertheless, it was considered unlikely in advance that an agreement would be reached at the meeting on Wednesday. It is a meeting at the "official level," said FPÖ General Secretary Christian Hafenecker to the APA on Tuesday.

The blue faction leader referred to a corresponding application already submitted by him and FPÖ club director Norbert Nemeth. "Our application is already before the National Council, it could be quickly brought to the first reading." "The chance is alive," he said regarding the question of whether a change in the rules of procedure could still be achieved before the start of the inquiries in January. "One could use either the plenary session in December or January to implement the change." He now hopes for the previous commitments of the other factions.

Addressing the concerns regarding personal rights, Hafenecker referred to international examples, such as in Germany or the USA. "One simply has to get in touch with these parliaments there to see how they handle it."

ÖVP Sees FPÖ Challenged

The application is apparently not enough for the ÖVP. Ahead of the meeting, the turquoise faction leader Andreas Hanger saw the Freedom Party challenged: "The FPÖ should make a concrete proposal on how personal rights can be protected here," he said to the APA on Tuesday.

Hanger's party colleague Haubner also said at the end of October that the primary concern is currently how the personal rights of the informants can be preserved. If a solution is found that maintains these personal rights, Haubner also sees no reason against a live broadcast. The infrastructure in the parliament is already in place.

Pro Live Broadcast

From the SPÖ parliamentary club, it was stated on Tuesday in response to an APA inquiry that the meeting on Wednesday would take place on the "level of experts." The SPÖ is in favor of live broadcasts in any case. "The remaining questions regarding personal rights and data protection need to be clarified," said a spokesperson.

From the NEOS side, Deputy Club Chairman Nikolaus Scherak stated to the APA that the party has long advocated for public broadcasting of committee sessions "in the interest of transparency and clarification. To protect the personal rights of informants who are not in the public eye, sensible measures are needed." The details are currently being negotiated and coordinated at the parliamentary level. "We expect all constructive forces to quickly participate in developing a legally sound solution and for it to be implemented."

Clearly in favor of the live broadcast ahead of the meeting on Wednesday was also the Green faction leader Nina Tomaselli. "We are for the live broadcast, we always have been. It's about transparency," she told the APA. "I also believe that this would mean a strengthening of the parliamentary instrument."

A blueprint for possible broadcasts of an inquiry could be provided by the German Bundestag. There, audio and video broadcasts are generally not permitted either. However, exceptions are possible, requiring the consent of both two-thirds of the deputies and the informants. This typically concerns the questioning of particularly high-ranking politicians, such as government members.

FPÖ Requested Committee of Inquiry

The committee of inquiry requested by the FPÖ regarding the case of the deceased Justice Section Chief Christian Pilnacek was formally established with a call in the National Council plenary during the special session on October 22. The inaugural meeting is planned for November 19. The transmission of files and documents is to be completed by December 17. The questioning is set to properly begin in January.

According to the FPÖ's request, the committee of inquiry is to serve the "clarification of political influence on investigations in the Pilnacek case." The former Justice Section Chief was found dead in October 2023, with investigative authorities speaking of clear suicide. The FPÖ suspects political interventions in the investigations through the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice, as well as the Chancellery. The Freedom Party intends to focus on the period from October 19, 2023, the day before Pilnacek's death, to September 4, 2025, when the responsibility for the investigations was transferred from the Krems Public Prosecutor's Office to the Eisenstadt Public Prosecutor's Office.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.