Kärnten inquiry committee approves evidence requests ahead of October hearings

Austria’s Kärnten inquiry committee has unanimously approved requests for evidence concerning the sale of state assets, with documents due by September 23 and the first hearings expected in October, ORF reported.

The inquiry, requested by the FPÖ, is examining the sale of the Görtschach state youth home and the Ossiacher See holiday village. The Carinthian Court of Audit reviewed both transactions in a report published in summer 2025 and identified several irregularities.

Criticism of the Görtschach sale focused on the price achieved. After the Ossiacher See holiday village was sold, the agreed tourism use and investments failed to materialise. Critics also noted that the purchase contract did not provide for the sale to be reversed if its contractual obligations were not met.

The evidence requests are expected to generate a large volume of files. The committee has repeatedly requested all correspondence, including emails, from the relevant authorities and the offices of government members Gabriele Schaunig of the SPÖ and Martin Gruber of the ÖVP. It is also seeking file notes, calendars, contracts and expert reports produced in connection with the sales.

FPÖ parliamentary group leader and committee chairman Erwin Angerer said the committee’s goal was to uncover the background to the decisions and clarify political responsibility.