The closeness between the three is "unmistakable," said FPÖ General Secretary Christian Hafenecker, fearing that a "red-tinted network" is being used against political competition. Foresight and the Ministry of Culture rejected the insinuation in statements.
The tender, collection of offers, and commissioning were carried out by the Arts and Culture Section - "of course, taking into account all procurement law framework conditions, such as obtaining comparative offers," said the Ministry of Culture to the APA. The study was commissioned to investigate the cultural participation of migrants in the sense of evidence-based and impact-oriented policy, among other things because cultural participation is a strong integration indicator and there are many integrative projects in the cultural sector.
Hafenecker calls on ORF to terminate contract with Foresight
"An institute that strategically supports a party is commissioned by that very party with taxpayers' money and simultaneously receives orders from the ORF, the SPÖ friends at Küniglberg," Hafenecker expressed outrage in a statement. That the ORF has commissioned Foresight (formerly: SORA) with the scientific support for future elections also upsets the FPÖ politician. The tender was constructed in such a way that only Foresight could have received the contract, Hafenecker alleged, and once again called on the ORF to terminate the contract with Foresight.
The institute emphasized that "contrary to other insinuations, the political orientation of the clients and ministries in the history of the institute is broad." About half of the studies commissioned by the federal government were commissioned by ÖVP-led ministries, about a third by SPÖ-led ones, and a sixth by ministries led by other parties.
ORF's election day research was publicly tendered
The ORF's election day research was publicly tendered after the end of the collaboration with the SORA Institute in 2023. The reason for the end of the cooperation with SORA was a strategy paper from the institute that unintentionally reached the public, which was intended as a basis for a sought-after consultation with the SPÖ. The SORA Institute subsequently restructured and was renamed Foresight. Foresight met all the application criteria of the international tender process, said the ORF after the institute was awarded the contract.
(APA/Red)
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