Im Committee on Human Rights and People’s Office several opposition applications were discussed and postponed. It was about the protection of children, a commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights as well as a reform of the public prosecutor.
FPÖ is committed to child protection package
MP Elisabeth Heiß (FPÖ) called for a comprehensive child protection package to strengthen the criminal protection of minors (349/A (e)). In their view, the existing regulations are too mild and incomplete. Also in the case of therapy offers, limitation periods and protective measures for affected people, the members of the deputies significantly catch up. By means of a motion for a resolution, she called for a lifelong ban on activity for relevant convicts in all areas with contact with minors or other particularly in need of protection, drastically tightened punitive framework up to lifelong imprisonment as well as a lifelong entry in the criminal register. It should now be traded to protect children, emphasized hot in the committee and criticized the adjoining.
Child protection is also very important for the SPÖ, emphasized Pia Maria Wiinger (SPÖ). Child abuse does not stop at the limits, which is why it has to be protected at European level and waiting for corresponding regulations. Therefore, Wieninger made the adjoining application.
FPÖ demands reduction in court fees
In a further motion for a decision, FPÖ MP Elisabeth Heiß called for a reduction of the court fees that they believe (350/A (e)). Access to the judiciary is a fundamental right in a democratic constitutional state, but high court fees, such as in Austria, represent a significant hurdle – especially for people with low income. Accordingly, hot for a fee reduction in the sense of equal opportunities and social justice.
The government program provides evaluation, informed Rudolf Silvan (SPÖ). Low -threshold access is to be ensured, according to the MP, but the budget currently does not allow any fees. Silvan referred to procedural aids.
Christian Lausch (FPÖ) criticized the recent increase in fees. Nikolaus Scherak (NEOS) explained that the fees are a concern of all parties.
Green demands clear commitment to ECHR and ECHMR
Agnes-Sirkka Prammer (Greens) warned of political advances that aimed at weakening or reinterpreting the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) (ECHR)347/A (e)). The convention is a central pillar of the rule of law and, together with the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECMR), forms the basis for the protection of basic and freedom rights in Europe. Attempts to reinterpret the convention or formally change the entire human rights protection framework. It is important to clearly express a clear commitment to the ECHR, emphasized Prammer.
The FPÖ represented a contrary access and found the ECHR for no longer up to date. Reinhold Maier (FPÖ) regarded the ECHR as the cause of weak deportation rates in Austria and he also saw problems with family reunification. The FPÖ therefore does not agree to the application, emphasized Maier. Jakob Grüner (ÖVP) did not consider it sensible to discuss the application because he had already been treated and rejected in the plenary. The application was finally postponed.
Greens: No to Bundestrojan and Messenger monitoring
Green MP Süleyman Zorba called for the planned monitoring of Messenger services to be ceased immediately (209/A (e)). In addition, he asked for measures to prevent the use of espionage software against Austrian citizens: to prevent the interior for a Europe-wide prohibition of such software and sensible measures to fight terrorism. The application refers to a government template for regulating messenger monitoring (see parliamentary correspondence 629/2025). Zorba locates massive legal and technical problems. In particular, he showed the risk of spyware abuse. He also threw numerous criticisms, such as the technical implementation, the controllability of the software and its origin.
The draft is based on the use of security gaps and thus contradicted the state mandate, Zorba showed. Zorba stated that it was technically not possible to only access the news, but was accessed to the entire device. Group colleague Agnes-Sirkka Prammer stated that other countries are already going back on regulations, such as those intended. Zorba discussed that the law is expected to be “pushed through” in the National Council next week. Before that, the interior committee will be advised on July 2nd.
The ÖVP spoke in favor of “hazard monitoring” in the present form. Different opinions are legitimate, according to Jakob Grüner (ÖVP), after all, it is about weighing up the intervention and personal rights.
Michael Schilchegger (FPÖ) critically commented. He warned of taking advantage of the possibilities. The corresponding software does not yet exist. In addition, access is not just limited to the news. Schilchegger found the adjournment to be improper because the draft law is very likely to come to the plenum anyway. He therefore called for color to confess.
There are different views of the NEOS within the faction. While Nikolaus Scherak fully agreed with MP Zorba, he noted that not all of his faction colleague: on the inside. The topic was intensively discussed in the parliamentary group, said Michael Bernhard (also NEOS). After the assessment, there were a number of improvements. Bernhard emphasized that there is enough time between the decision in the National Council and the actual surveillance, Bernhard emphasized. There was no speech by the SPÖ on the subject, Zorba recorded critically.
Greens for the reform of the order mechanism of the public prosecutor’s office
The current order mechanism of the public prosecutor’s office is outdated, emphasized the Green MP Olga Voglauer (149/A). In the reference to numerous human rights organizations and constitutional laws, she criticizes the lack of transparency and the resulting party political dependence of the public prosecutor. She called for a “new, transparent and party -independent selection process” that includes a public tender. The candidate: Inside, a selection commission should then be ranked based on the qualification. According to the application, the selection commission should be represented by representatives: Inside civil society organizations in the field of human rights and constitutional expert: inside. After that, the main committee after a public hearing would propose the most suitable three applicants: inside the National Council on the basis of a two -thirds majority, which should ultimately also choose the members of the public prosecutor with a two -thirds majority.
In addition, Voglauer joined for an expansion of the test skills of the ingredient (152/A (e)). According to the Federal Constitutional Act, the responsibility only includes the non-sovereign administration that is carried out by federal bodies in the organizational sense itself. This means that the public prosecutor, for example, cannot check hospitals or nursing homes that were outsourced by public organizations. In such cases, however, the test competence of the Court of Auditors is not questioned.
Christian Lausch (FPÖ) was clear against a reform of the order mechanism, because “the practice of recent years was a good one”. The order mode would have proven itself for decades, and a change would be associated with costs. On the other hand, he thought it made sense to expand the test mode. Michael Bernhard (NEOS) made the applications for the diversion and was open to discussions and ideas. The government program provides for a transparent process, he emphasized. Jakob Grüner (ÖVP) positioned himself between the Greens and FPÖ. He supported the order mode more transparent, but spoke out against an extension of test skills at the moment. There is a different system at the Court of Auditors, which is why it cannot be automatically drawn, says Grüner. (Conclusion committee for human rights and the prosecutor) GLA