Corruption in Vienna: Fewer and fewer citizens are reporting misconduct!

The city of Vienna has launched a platform that is intended to enable citizens to report suspected cases of corruption, bribery or wasteful use of taxpayers' money. This initiative aims to make misconduct by the city's largest employer, namely city employees, more transparent. However, since the platform was launched on February 22, 2021, only 518 reports have been received ORF Vienna reported. What is striking is that about half of these reports concerned personal matters, including complaints about park sheriffs and housing allocations. The city's anti-corruption team was able to prove actual violations in 30 cases, but no criminal charges have been filed so far. However, consequences such as additional training or warnings for the affected employees were initiated.

Another interesting point is the decline in complaints in recent years. While 187 reports were received in the first year, these numbers fell continuously to 136 in 2022 and 108 in 2023. By December 4, 2024, only 87 complaints had been registered. The city of Vienna attributes this decline to advancing digitalization and the associated transparency. In particular, the introduction of the electronic file in the federal government (ELAK) makes it easier to manage data and reduce complaints, as the city has noted. In addition, compliance officers have been implemented in every department to ensure consistent compliance with legal and internal guidelines.

Responsible contact points

The Vienna City Service is the first point of contact for all complaints and concerns from Viennese people. If officials suspect breaches of duty in the form of a supervisory complaint, the Internal Audit and Compliance group will examine the allegations. How Vienna.gv.at explained, the complainant expects an appropriate response to his information, and the “People’s Attorney’s Office and Supervision Complaints” department will ensure rapid clarification. This feedback from citizens is crucial to improving processes and controls within the city administration.