Austria's FPÖ floods government with queries, costing taxpayers millions

The Austrian government has faced an unprecedented surge in parliamentary queries from the FPÖ over the past year and a half. Officials report that 86 percent of the 894 responses sent by one ministry originated from the far-right party, overwhelming staff and draining resources. Ministers have now accused the FPÖ of weaponising inquiries for political rather than oversight purposes. Since the start of the current legislative term, the FPÖ has flooded ministries with highly detailed requests, often requiring entire teams to work for weeks on single responses. The interior ministry estimates that processing these queries between March 2025 and March 2026 will cost taxpayers over €2 million. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) criticised the 'partisan-motivated' nature of the questions, arguing they undermine genuine parliamentary scrutiny.

Health Minister Korinna Schumann (SPÖ) echoed these concerns, accusing the FPÖ of deliberately misrepresenting complex data for political gain. One analysis revealed that only 3.2 percent of hospital visits and 4.1 percent of doctor visits involved individuals from countries named in an FPÖ query—a figure below their population share. The ministry has also begun sending proactive 'fact checks' to media outlets to counter potential misinformation. The FPÖ rejected the criticisms, calling the ministry's statements an 'admission of failure'. Party representatives claimed the government was eroding fundamental parliamentary rights by resisting oversight. Despite the backlash, the ministry maintains it prioritises transparency and answers all inquiries to the best of its ability.

The dispute highlights growing tensions between the FPÖ and government ministries over the volume and intent of parliamentary questions. With costs projected to exceed €2 million, officials warn that excessive queries risk diverting resources from core administrative work. The ministry's proactive fact-checking measures suggest an effort to control the narrative amid ongoing political clashes.