The rules of procedure have been the same since the last U Committee – “that’s why I don’t understand this question,” he said to the “Kurier” (Sunday edition). He does not feel embarrassed, because the investigation period should then start “when I became President of the National Council. I was therefore not part of the government and it is only being investigated”.
Sobotka also referred to the last U committee: “The trial judge assesses which questions are permissible and which are not. As chairman, I always followed what he advised. The artificial excitement about myself is therefore more political, but not in terms of content. “
Asked about the fact that he is considered a close confidante of ex-Chancellor and ÖVP boss Sebastian Kurz, around whom the U-Committee revolves, Sobotka referred to the separation of powers: “Are we no longer separating between the executive and the legislature? Let’s ignore that There is basically a separation of powers? You could question every decision made by all three presidents. After all, everyone is also part of a parliamentary group. “
As chairman, he could neither “put down” a substantive discussion – “nor can I influence anything to the detriment of the opposition,” said Sobotka. Regarding the skepticism of the opposition towards his chairmanship, he said that if you think this through to the end, it would mean “not only in the Sobotka case” that you could construct a “case of alleged bias” every time and publicly demand the chairman’s resignation, if you “don’t like the chairman”. “Some people may not like it, but I reject this political arbitrariness.”
In addition to the opposition, Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) was also skeptical about Sobotka’s chairmanship a good week ago. In a “Puls4” interview, the Green Federal Spokesman gave the President of the National Council the “little advice” that he should seriously consider handing over the chairmanship to Second President Doris Bures (SPÖ) or Third President Norbert Hofer (FPÖ).
