FPÖ calls for the committee of inquiry: Causa Pilnacek and Corona in focus!

FPÖ calls for the committee of inquiry: Causa Pilnacek and Corona in focus!

Nationalrat, Österreich - On May 29, 2025, the FPÖ officially submitted an application for the establishment of an investigation committee in the National Council. The focus of this initiative is on a comprehensive examination of the Interior Ministry led by the ÖVP. In particular, the Causa Pilnacek and the measures taken during the Corona pandemic are discussed. However, various legal hurdles must be overcome before the real implementation of the committee. Both the ÖVP and the SPÖ are currently examining the constitutional conformity of the subjects requested, which leads to a political blockade.

ÖVP MP Andreas Hanger and SPÖ mandate Jan Krainer have emphasized that their legal experts will carefully examine the matter. This is done in the middle of legal concerns that have occurred in relation to the constitutional conformity of the committee of inquiry. Among other things, there are doubts about the thematic width of the investigation, which many parties consider problematic. Critics complain that the combination of the topics of Pilnacek and Corona does not meet the usual standards for committees of investigation, since these are normally more focused.

political reactions and concerns

The FPÖ is convinced of the legality of their project and has the necessary mandates for the implementation of the committee. Nevertheless, the subject of the investigation could not find a majority in the Ordinance Committee, which would endanger an implementation of the application. In the event of a negative assessment by the coalition, the FPÖ has the option of calling the Constitutional Court to create legal clarity. This was emphasized as a possible approach by some experts and political observers who consider the situation to be potentially critical.

The political debate about the committee is also fueled by allegations that the FPÖ has set up "conspiracy theories" in the context of Corona pandemic. While the majority of parliamentary factions consider this problematic, the Greens show a certain interest in the Causa Pilnacek. The discussion about the topic of the application could therefore prove to be decisive for the future act of the FPÖ.

legal framework conditions

As stated in the legal requirements for committees of investigation, all federal organs, including ministries, are obliged to provide relevant documents and documents on requesting a committee. This also includes state governments and other self -administration bodies. However, investigative committees may not carry out preserving measures such as house searches or confiscations, which limits the reach of their powers.

In the context of the committee, information persons can be invited and questioned; People who do not appear can be shown. This is punished by the Federal Administrative Court. A convening of information persons can be requested by at least one quarter of the members of the committee. If you consider the current political conditions and uncertainties around the constitutional conformity, the implementation of the committee of inquiry remains uncertain. In addition, the FPÖ is already planning another parliamentary initiative for live transmission of surveys to increase the transparency of the procedure.