Sharp Criticism of Messenger Surveillance: NEOS Still Confident

Whether the messenger surveillance will come to fruition seems to depend on the NEOS. On Tuesday, the last day of the review period, the smallest coalition partner announced that they were not yet convinced of the draft's constitutional conformity. When asked about it today, party leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger expressed confidence that this would still be achieved.

Strong Criticism of Proposal: "We Will Take a Look"

"The essence of a review period is precisely to make improvements to the initial proposal," said Meinl-Reisinger. Previously, there was sharp criticism, including from Amnesty International and the data protection NGO epicenter.works. The Austrian Newspaper Association (VÖZ) criticized that it could lead to violations of journalistic source protection or editorial confidentiality. "Some points have been raised, and we will take a look at them," said Meinl-Reisinger.

Proposal Is No Cause for Concern in the Coalition

SPÖ chairman and Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler saw no reason for coalition tensions: "We will discuss this completely calmly," he said when asked before the Council of Ministers. Like ÖVP Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner, he was confident of finding a joint solution. Jörg Leichtfried (SPÖ), State Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior, stated in the Ö1 "Morning Journal" that some improvements, such as the protection of professional confidentiality, had already been made during the review.

Judges' Association Remains Skeptical: "Falls Short of the Constitutional Court's Requirements"

The Judges' Association does not see its fundamental concerns resolved. Some concerns expressed in advance have been addressed, "however, the regime proposed in the draft falls short of the clear requirements of the Constitutional Court," according to the Judges' Association in their review statement. Technically, it cannot currently be ensured that only parts of a mobile phone's communication can be read, and there are concerns about the independence of the legal protection officer and the additional burden on the already understaffed judiciary. Some concerns also come from the Constitutional Service of the Federal Chancellery, which suggests strengthening the powers of the legal protection officer.

Prosecutors Welcome Changes in the Draft, But Concerns Not Resolved

The Ministry of Justice generally welcomes the changes compared to the draft introduced by Karner last year. There are concerns, for example, regarding the extension of the postponement of the reporting obligation, which the Ministry of Justice sees as undermining the prosecutorial leadership competence in the investigation process.

The Association of Austrian Prosecutors positively assesses the draft law "as a first important step to provide law enforcement agencies with contemporary investigative measures." Similar powers are also demanded for investigative procedures under the Code of Criminal Procedure.

(APA/Red)

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