Wöginger in sight: ÖVP club boss is fighting allegations of abuse!

Wöginger in sight: ÖVP club boss is fighting allegations of abuse!

In the past few months, Austrian politics has been strongly shaped by severe allegations against senior ÖVP politicians. The ÖVP club director August Wöginger is currently in focus, since he is being investigated on suspicion of abuse of office. According to 5min.at , Wöginger is accused of intervening as a determinant with the former chief of cabinet of the finance ministry, Thomas Schmid, in order to have intervened ÖVP mayor to include in a management position at the tax office.

ÖVP general secretary Christian Stocker leaves a surprising impression. He confirmed his support for Wöginger, even in the event of a conviction. Stocker compared the situation with the legal proceedings against Sebastian Kurz and warned of premature convictions in the event of ongoing charges. Wöginger rejects the allegations and emphasizes that he had no influence on the decision -making commission.

the indictment and the background

On May 15, 2025, the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor (WKStA) brought an indictment against Wöginger at the Linz Regional Court. The indictment is part of an extensive procedure for the Casinos Austria, which was triggered by the Ibiza scandal, as reported

The alleged intervention is said to have been carried out in 2017 when Wöginger was already working as a member of the National Council. The accusation of abuse of office is no coincidence; A high -ranking civil servant who is politically close to Wöginger is suspected of being involved in the controversial position. This legal proceedings are part of a broader spectrum of investigations against numerous ÖVP politicians, as reports of Kontrast.at show.

a profound problem within the ÖVP

The current investigations concern not only Wöginger, but also many other actors within the ÖVP, including Sebastian Kurz and its advisory group, as well as Karl Mahrer, the Viennese ÖVP boss. The allegations range from manipulated surveys to illegal positions to advertising affairs. The entire ÖVP is led as an accused in the procedure and there is a separate ÖVP corruption committee.

While Wöginger continues to receive support from his party, it remains to be seen how the investigation will develop. The presumption of innocence applies in all cases, but the frequent incidents throw a worrying light on the integrity of the political landscape in Austria.