Austria: No parliamentary staff under state surveillance, but 'security risk' remains

Austrian parliamentary officials met with state security representatives on Monday to discuss concerns regarding parliamentary staff associated with the far-right Identitarian Movement. National Council President Walter Rosenkranz (FPÖ) emphasized that no parliamentary employee is currently under direct surveillance. However, the Interior Ministry maintains that a "security risk" persists.

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Currently, no parliamentary employee is under state security observation.

Media reports had previously suggested that around ten parliamentary employees from the Freedom Party (FPÖ) were under observation by state security due to their ties to the Identitarian Movement, which the Office for the Protection of the Constitution deems far-right. In response, Rosenkranz convened a meeting with officials from the Interior Ministry, including State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried, and Sylvia Maier, head of the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN). Representatives from all parliamentary factions also attended.

The meeting concluded that no parliamentary employee is under state security surveillance, and there is no immediate "security threat" posed by them. Nevertheless, the Interior Ministry issued a statement clarifying its view that a security risk exists. The ministry pointed to the current constitutional protection report, which states that at least four former activists of the Identitarian Movement Austria are employed as parliamentary staff. The ministry argues that a security risk fundamentally exists when former members or activists of the movement gain access to classified information, regardless of whether individual surveillance measures are in place.

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There is no security threat from parliamentary employees.

The ministry recommends security checks for employees in sensitive subcommittees. Currently, members of parliament and their staff receive access cards without undergoing such checks. Formal responsibility for changing house rules, including access regulations, lies with the National Council President. Any changes require consensus within the presidium, which includes representatives from all parties. Rosenkranz indicated he would report on the meeting and discuss further proposals from State Secretary Leichtfried at the upcoming presidium conference.

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From the perspective of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, a security risk fundamentally exists if former IBÖ members or activists gain access to classified information.

FPÖ party leader Herbert Kickl questioned how such media reports and "pre-judgments" could have emerged, suggesting a deliberate effort to discredit patriotic individuals.

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Security checks for employees in sensitive subcommittees are recommended.