Calls to resign: Pressure on Sobotka is increasing

National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) invited people to a special presidential meeting on Wednesday evening following calls from the opposition factions to resign because of the recently disclosed allegations against him. At the meeting, Sobotka explained that the allegations were not true, said FPÖ MP Dagmar Belakowitsch afterwards. Sobotka simply referred to his spokesman, who had previously rejected the representations.

The opposition had called for the meeting after serious allegations against the President of the National Council became known the day before. In the morning, ÖVP boss Karl Nehammer before the President of the National Council, Minister of Justice Alma Zadic (Greens) announced a commission of inquiry.

• Also read: Pilnacek recordings: Zadic announces investigative commission

Ghealth minister John Rauch (Greens) indirectly suggested Sobotka resign to the “Kleine Zeitung”. “If I were in Sobotka’s situation, I would have taken my hat off. I have a clear moral compass,” Rauch was quoted as saying in the online edition of the “Kleine Zeitung” on Wednesday evening. The Green Secretary General made similar comments before and after the evening special presidential meeting Olga Voglauer: “If you ask me, I would resign.” Voglauer had previously stated that if she were Sobotka, she would have “taken her hat long ago in order to protect the reputation of this high office,” even in view of previous allegations.

The allegations are about the ex-section chief, who recently passed away Christian Pilnacek spoke privately in a bar about the fact that Sobotka had accused him of never turning down investigations. The conversation from last summer was secretly recorded and made available to several media outlets in the past few days.

According to Sobotka, “everything has been said”

After the presidential meeting, Sobotka himself simply referred to his speaker as having “said everything”. He had already announced on Tuesday that they would “not take part in such a disrespectful act” “if a person who recently died under tragic circumstances is now to be dragged into the public in order to make political change.” He noted “that the President of the National Council has never spoken to Christian Pilnacek about ongoing proceedings, investigations or freezing orders,” said the spokesman. Accordingly, Sobotka “of course sticks to what he said in the investigative committee under the obligation to tell the truth.” Pilnacek himself confirmed this in the investigative committee “and under the obligation to tell the truth”.

• More on the subject: Tape: Pilnacek accused the ÖVP of interventions

Opposition calls for resignation

After the meeting, the opposition factions maintained their call for his resignation. The executive SPÖ club chairman Philip Kucher said afterwards that Sobotka would make a “personal statement” on Thursday. Sobotka’s office said that the president would simply emphasize his point of view again in the plenary session. Also the deputy NEOS club boss Nicholas Scherak once again made it clear that the opposition sees the office of National Council President as being damaged by the case.

ÖVP general secretary Christian Stocker After the presidential election, underlined the People’s Party’s line that had already been expressed. He expressed reservations about an investigative commission announced by Justice Minister Alma Zadic (Greens): The matter will have no impact on the coalition, he says.

Video: Statements after the special presidential meeting

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