Anyone who looks after children and adolescents or works in the education or training area is often obliged to present a special “criminal register certificate of child and youth welfare” in order to prove that there are no convictions for sexual offenses or other crimes that trigger a ban on working with children and adolescents. Unlike conventional criminal register certificates, such leumund certificates cannot be applied for online according to a joint application by the Federal Council factions, but must be obtained personally. This should change according to the SPÖ, ÖVP, FPÖ, Neos and Greens. At the end of his today’s meeting the Federal Council has made a corresponding decision, which is aimed primarily at Justice Minister Anna Sporrer and Finance Markus Marterbauer. According to this, not only online applications should be made possible, for applicants: inside of children’s and youth organizations, such special criminal register certificates – regardless of the application form – should also be free. Many child protection concepts would provide for regular new criminal register certificates every two to three years, which means a high bureaucratic effort and costs, this advance is justified.
At the end of today’s meeting day, the Federal Council also advised on the new rules for politicians’ social media accounts: inside and several legislative templates from the traffic sector: They passed the country chamber without objection.
Criminal register certificate for child and youth welfare
The common Motion Unanimous to the “special criminal register certificate of child and youth welfare”. Andrea Eder-Gitschthaler (ÖVP/s) and Daniela Gruber-Pruner (SPÖ/W) were very pleased. The initiative goes back to a conversation that the Federal Council had conducted in the state of Salzburg as part of its day of action, reported Eder-Gifthaler. The first step has now been taken with the resolution.
Gruber-Pruner pointed out that thousands of children are currently in holiday camps or take part in holiday campaigns, many of volunteers: organized inside. Child protection is very important in these activities, she emphasized. For the employees: In the inside, however, there is a lot of time and, depending on the office or magistrate, of different amounts of money to receive the necessary criminal register certificate.
FPÖ criticizes new rules for politicians social media accounts: inside
The reason for the new game rules for politicians’ social media accounts: Inside there are several decisions of the independent party transparency senate (UPTS). At the request of the Court of Auditors, he assessed the participation of cabinet and office employees: Inside on accounts of government members as an inadmissible party donation if they do not belong to the public sector, but a party. Now this should be allowed under certain conditions – also retrospectively. However, the contributions that cabinet or office staff: design inside must clearly differ from party political content of the accounts and be explicitly marked. The same is for postings from parliamentary employees: intended for their MPs. In addition, the Novella on the Party Act Clarifications in relation to international party organizations.
The retroactive effect does not apply to those cases in which there is already a decision of the UPT, as the National Council has decided by means of amendment, the FPÖ still sees the amendment extremely critically. In the future, one should “turn the ministries open from the ministries,” criticized Isabella Theuermann (FPÖ/K) and spoke of a distortion of competition at the expense of the opposition. In their opinion, it is “brazen occasional legislation”. She also accused the other parties “double standards in pure culture”.
Greens: amendment to the law brings legal certainty
In contrast, Ernest Schwindsackl (ÖVP/ST) asserted that there will be clear rules for the participation of cabinet employees: inside of social media accounts by government members. In the past there was a certain gray area that is now being removed. That was “progress,” he emphasized.
The fact that a politician must have two different accounts – for example if a Federal Council is also mayor – is not practical for Schwindsackl. Christoph Matznette (SPÖ/W) also considers a strict separation between public office and party functions, for example when visiting the constituency. The present amendment brings legal certainty, is also convinced by Elisabeth Kittl (Greens/W). Cabinet employees: In the future, she should not do any party work in the future, she confirmed.
Kittl rated the criticism of the FPÖ as “quite brazen”. After all, it was the FPÖ that refuses to the Court of Auditors into the partyinance, she said. In addition, there have also been several cases of inadmissible party donations in the ranks of the FPÖ in the past. Schwindsackl and Matznettter also spoke on the refusal of the FPÖ to refuse the Court of Auditors in documents.
The amendment to the party law finally remained uninfected against the votes of the FPÖ. The majority of the country chamber also did not raise any veto against several amendments to the law. Among other things, it is about the Shipping lawthe Freight Transport Act and to adapt the motor law law to EU law. (Continued Federal Council) GS
Note: Sessions of the National Council and the Federal Council can also be followed by Livestream and are as video-on-demand in the Parliament media library available.