ÖVP Continues to Criticize FPÖ Leader Herbert Kickl

The ÖVP continues to focus on FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl. On Thursday, the People's Party invited to a press conference titled "What is Kickl's Signature Actually Worth?" to attest to the FPÖ leader's lack of credibility. On one hand, regarding the increase in health insurance contributions for pensioners, which according to the ÖVP was agreed upon in the blue-black negotiations, and on the other hand, the unfulfilled promise of a Corona investigation committee.

Both cases are exemplary of the "Kickl method," says ÖVP General Secretary Nico Marchetti. After big announcements, Kickl gets "cold feet" when it comes to implementation, and then he throws "smoke grenades." One such example is the statement by the FPÖ leader that the increase in health insurance contributions for pensioners was not a decided matter in the blue-black negotiations. However, this measure is clearly outlined in the document sent to the EU Commission, according to Marchetti: "And the letter we sent to Brussels bore Kickl's signature."

However, legal steps will not be initiated, emphasized the ÖVP General Secretary: "We are conducting this debate in Parliament." In any case, they have all the evidence "in black and white" that Kickl is not telling the truth.

FPÖ detects "brazen attempt at manipulation"

The Freedom Party detected a "brazen attempt at manipulation" in Marchetti's argumentation. The increase in health insurance contributions for pensioners was marked as "red" in the negotiations by the FPÖ, emphasized FPÖ General Secretary Christian Hafenecker. The list for the budget plan, which was sent to Brussels by the FPÖ and ÖVP in January to avert the EU deficit procedure, deliberately left the point of health insurance contributions open. This was also confirmed by the then Finance Minister Gunter Mayr in a ZIB2 interview.

Remarkable for Hafenecker is also that the list sent to Brussels recently "not coincidentally" disappeared from the Ministry of Finance's homepage: "These are the dirty methods of the ÖVP, only a party that wants to mock our population from start to finish with falsehoods works like this."

Kickl did not fulfill election promise of a Corona inquiry committee

Another piece of evidence for Kickl's lack of credibility, according to the ÖVP, is the non-convening of a parliamentary inquiry committee to review the Corona period. It "greatly surprised" him that there is now no such inquiry committee, argued the ÖVP Secretary General. After all, it is stated in the blue election program. Instead, the Freedom Party is now paralyzing the administration with over 800 inquiries about Corona, "just to appease the Corona deniers within their own ranks."

When asked whether the ÖVP would prefer a Corona inquiry committee over an inquiry committee regarding the death of former Justice Section Chief Christian Pilnacek, Marchetti said: "That is not up to me." Because an inquiry committee is a minority right. For him, the question arises as to why the Freedom Party promises one on Corona before the election but then does not implement it.

Hafenecker also strictly rejected this argument. After all, Kickl "clearly announced" that on the one hand, there will be a strong Corona tangent in the upcoming inquiry committee, and on the other hand, it could subsequently lead to a separate Corona inquiry committee.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.