ORF discussion in Zwettl: Experts cancel – Corona debate burst!

ORF discussion in Zwettl: Experts cancel – Corona debate burst!

The ORF panel discussion on the corona pandemic planned for March 13, 2025 in Zwettl, Lower Austria will not take place. The reason for the cancellation is that the invited experts, the virologist Norbert Nowotny and the intensive care physician Christoph Hörmann, canceled at short notice. Loud oe24.at The ORF announced that it had not been possible to find suitable replacement speakers. The discussion should shed light on the facts and errors of the Corona measures and give all participants a voice, including critical voices such as Corona denier Martin Rutter.

The invitation of Rutter, known for his aggressive views against corona measures and initiatives for vaccination victims, led to considerable protest, which ultimately led to the resignations of Nowotny and Hörmann. Nowotny explained that the event would mainly give Rutter and his supporters a platform that they did not have. These concerns were expressed not only by the experts, but also by the Federal Audit Office, which recently criticized the Corona Fund funds that had flowed to Rutter's organizations. So reported courier.at about the controversies surrounding participation and the potential spread of misinformation associated with it.

The cancellation represents a setback for ORF NÖ, which originally intended to create a platform for different viewpoints. With the deletion, the discussion about the corona measures and their critics remains unanswered, while the ORF is faced with the challenge of promoting a balanced dialogue without propagating extremist views.