FPÖ accuses Interior Ministry of bypassing Parliament with secret document

In substance, it was a pure "question deflection toolkit" with which the Interior Ministry was trying to override the legislature, that is, Parliament, Hafenecker said. For him, this settles the matter: "Die politische Einflussnahme ist in diesem Fall amtlich belegt."

Hafenecker gave Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) an "absolute deadline" until Friday evening to officially deliver the document. Otherwise, he announced: "Werden wir Freiheitliche das Papier an den U-Ausschuss liefern."

The Allegations in Detail

According to Hafenecker, the preparatory document was used in training sessions for already summoned as well as potential witnesses for the Pilnacek inquiry committee, which took place at the beginning of January 2026. Hafenecker said he was convinced of the document's authenticity.

The background: The inquiry committee is dealing with the Pilnacek affair, named after the former section chief in the Justice Ministry Christian Pilnacek. At the center is the allegation of political influence on the judiciary and administration. The document currently being discussed is part of a series of similar allegations.

The FPÖ sees the document as proof that the Interior Ministry deliberately prepared for answering questions in the committee in order to fend off uncomfortable facts. Hafenecker spoke of a structural attempt to undermine Parliament's rights of oversight.

Reactions and Next Steps

As of Monday evening, no statement on Hafenecker's specific allegations had been issued by the Interior Ministry itself. The ministry also did not initially comment on the veracity of the document that had been passed on. The FPÖ, for its part, referred to Karner's confirmation of the document's existence.

Should Karner let the deadline expire, the FPÖ says it will forward the document directly to the inquiry committee. This would push the conflict between government and opposition in the Pilnacek affair to a new level of escalation.

Politically, the dispute is gaining urgency against the backdrop of the ongoing investigations and the upcoming electoral period. Observers view Hafenecker's move as an attempt to put the Interior Ministry under pressure and to keep the Pilnacek affair alive in the public eye.

It remains unclear who the whistleblower is and from which part of the Interior Ministry the document originates. The FPÖ has also not publicly disclosed, beyond hints, which specific questions or topics are addressed in the document.