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"Wunderwuzzis" among themselves? The then ÖVP Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and entrepreneur René Benko during a visit to Abu Dhabi

Photo: Helmut Fohringer / picture alliance / APA / dpa

Austrian opposition parties want to find out whether the conservative ruling party ÖVP was favoured by Austrian billionaires. This is what a committee of inquiry is supposed to be about. The Social Democratic SPÖ and the right-wing FPÖ announced on Friday that the focus would be on the Austrian investor René Benko, who has recently hit the headlines, and his real estate and retail group Signa. In addition, the automotive investor Siegfried Wolf (Steyr Automotive) and the motorcycle entrepreneur Stefan Pierer (KTM) were named, among others.

The Signa Group, founded by Benko, which also includes the department store group Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof, is in financial difficulties. A restructuring process was initiated at the beginning of November.

A good relationship with Sebastian Kurz?

"It's about the extent to which he was treated better by members of the ÖVP government and their offices" than other entrepreneurs, SPÖ MP Kai Jan Krainer said of Benko. The U committee was to shed light on the awarding of corona aid to companies of the Signa Group, it said. In addition, it is to be investigated whether companies owned by billionaires like Benko received tax advantages because of good contacts with politicians. Inquiries from the dpa news agency on the subject were not answered by the spokesman for the Signa Group. Benko was considered to be well connected in Vienna. In April, for example, the »Standard« reported that Benko had been looking for investors in the Middle East together with Austria's ex-chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP).

In response, the ÖVP announced another U-committee, which is to deal with ministries formerly led by the SPÖ and FPÖ. The awarding of advertisements, surveys and public contracts as well as personnel decisions are to be examined. One year before the parliamentary elections, the ÖVP, currently led by Chancellor Karl Nehammer, is under pressure because of low poll ratings and a series of investigations by the corruption prosecutor's office.

beb/dpa