NEOS expel MP Veit Dengler from parliamentary club and party

From internal NEOS circles it was reported that Dengler apparently recorded the session. The party announced it would examine further legal steps. Details on possible consequences or any ongoing proceedings were not initially provided.

Background: Co-founder and mandatary

Veit Dengler is a member of the National Council and co-founder of the NEOS. He is thus one of the people who helped build the party years ago. His expulsion marks one of the rare cases in which a mandatary loses both the club and the party.

The NEOS are responding with this step to a longer-running internal party tension. Repeatedly in recent months there was talk of a "Parteirebell" who could no longer be reconciled with the faction's line. The expulsion on Friday now turns this tension into a formal separation.

The faction emphasized that the decision was unanimous. The club thus stands united behind the step. The party leadership also followed suit, according to the release, and subsequently expelled Dengler from the party.

Open questions regarding mandate and legal steps

There were initially no details on what will happen to his National Council mandate. After a club and party expulsion, mandataries can in principle retain their parliamentary mandate, provided they do not leave the National Council or resign their mandate. The NEOS did not comment on this.

The NEOS announced that they would have the events surrounding the session and possible recordings reviewed legally. This could mean that, in addition to political consequences, Dengler could also face civil or criminal law consequences. The party provided no information on which specific steps would be taken.

The expulsion comes at a politically sensitive stage. The NEOS have long positioned themselves as an opposition party in the National Council and have recently struggled with internal debates. With the unanimous decision, the faction is also sending a signal of unity to the outside.

Reporting on the matter was picked up by, among others, the Austria Presse Agentur (APA). Several daily newspapers and online media also reported on the expulsion on Friday evening. A statement from Veit Dengler himself was not initially available.