SPÖ boss Andreas Popler had told ZIB2 on Tuesday that Kussenbauer's role in Cigna had “wounded” him: “I can only condemn it morally.” Such consulting fees are “difficult to explain,” he said. Former Chancellor. However, he did not demand his removal from the party. Gusenbauer decided he wanted to be a party member and paid his membership fee. But Gusenbauer does not represent the SPÖ, Babler said.
SPÖ leader Poplar in scandals and schemes
Federal Party Leader Andreas Popler comments on the SPÖ scandals and explains how he intends to position the SPÖ in the 2024 super election year.
Lower Austria's SPÖ leader Sven Herkovich took a similar stance. He described Gusenbauer's payments of millions as “morally wrong.” But he does not want to be expelled from the party: “The federal party leader said he morally condemns it, but there is no reason to expel him from the party. I support this line,” he told “Press” (online edition).
SPÖ Carinthia does not believe in removing Gusenbauer from the party either. “Alfred Kusenbauer committed no crime. Apart from that, he has no activity or representative role in the SPÖ,” said the office of state party leader Peter Kaiser in response to an APA request. Austria has “completely different problems to solve” such as inflation.
Call for Exclusion from Burgenland
The Burgenland state party sees it differently, as its club president Roland Fürst explained: “In Burgenland we will not tolerate this and will initiate a boycott, because such behavior is incompatible with social democratic values.” This “simply cannot be explained,” he said, according to “Kurrier” and “Kronen Zeitung” (online edition).
Although not expelled from the party, the SPÖ state party leaders in Tyrol, Upper Austria and Vorarlberg are considering suspending Kussenbauer's party membership. Tyrol's SPÖ state party leader Georg Dornauer suggested in the “Standard” that Gusenbauer should have his party membership suspended – until all allegations surrounding Cigna are fully clarified.
“I kindly recommend that he continue to act for our party as he did in Strabach,” said the Tyrolean vice-governor. There, Gusenbauer recognized “a shadow over his reputation” and resigned from his supervisory board mandate. “So I want him to treat the community of our faith with the same care as he treated his feeders.”
Upper Austria and Voralberg and the Tyrol to idleness
Upper Austria's SPÖ leader Michael Lindner made a similar statement on Tuesday: Gusenbauer's lucrative consulting work for the ailing Cigna Group Rene Benkos was “a huge mortgage for the SPÖ,” Lindner said, according to an advance report by “Oberösterreichische Nachrichten.”
“In my opinion, Kussenbauer should suspend his party membership until the allegations surrounding this scandal are clarified,” Lindner said. Although Gusenbauer had no role in the SPÖ, the Signa bankruptcy was an important matter. The question arises as to how such institutional structures have been maintained. “That's the real scandal.”
Vorarlberg's SPÖ party leader Mario Leiter described Kusenbauer as a “simple party member” when asked by APA. Of course, one must be “economically active again” after a political career, Leiter said, “but everything must be legal.” Like Dornauer, Gusenbauer suggested suspending his party membership “until the whole thing is resolved.” In Leiter's view, it was “a gesture to the party.” “And will be.
Hergovich to Colrose: “Apology accepted”
Herkovich did not want any further consequences for Lower Austrian SPÖ national council member Andreas Kollross, who has come under fire for joking about sexual violence on Facebook. Inspired by the movie “Braveheart,” the mayor of Druma “jokingly” thought of the “Ius primae noctis” resolution. The mayor would then have the right to spend the first night with the bride at weddings in his community – although historians doubt whether this right actually existed or was enforced.
“Andreas Kolross made a grave mistake with this tasteless statement. But he immediately apologized and showed deep remorse by donating a substantial sum to a women's organization,” said the SPÖ Lower Austria leader.
“I believe that in our society, apologies should be valued,” Herkovich said. “That is why the Lower Austrian SP and I have accepted this apology.” According to him, this applies to other parties as well: “For example, I accept the apology of the finance minister that the driver's license was revoked because of the danger. Speeding in traffic.”
