Austrian opposition parties want to investigate the alleged preference for billionaires by the conservative ÖVP chancellor party in a committee of inquiry. The social democratic SPÖ and the right-wing FPÖ announced on Friday that the focus would be on the Austrian investor René Benko and his real estate and trading group Signa. The automobile investor Siegfried Wolf (Steyr Automotive) and the motorcycle entrepreneur Stefan Pierer (KTM) were also mentioned.
The Signa Group founded by Benko, which also includes the Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof department store group, is in economic difficulties. A restructuring process was initiated at the beginning of November.
“It’s about the extent to which he was treated better by ÖVP government members and their offices” than other entrepreneurs, said SPÖ MP Kai Jan Krainer about Benko. It was said that the U-Committee should shed light on the awarding of Corona aid to Signa Group companies. It will also be investigated whether companies run by billionaires like Benko received tax advantages because of good contacts with politicians. Inquiries from the dpa were not answered by the spokesman for the Signa Group.
In response, the ÖVP announced another U-committee that would deal with ministries formerly led by the SPÖ and FPÖ. The awarding of advertisements, surveys and public contracts as well as personnel decisions should be examined. The ÖVP, led by Chancellor Karl Nehammer, is under pressure a year before the parliamentary elections because of low poll numbers and a series of investigations by the corruption prosecutor’s office. (dpa)