State audit offices back Burgenland director Rene Wenk

The directors of Austria’s state audit offices have backed the Burgenland State Audit Office and its director, Rene Wenk, after a report on the state’s finances drew criticism from Governor Hans Peter Doskozil and his SPÖ party, ORF reported.

Following a conference in Styria on Wednesday, the directors said personal, sweeping and unfounded attacks on the oversight institution must be firmly rejected. They stressed the central importance of independent, objective and factual public financial oversight.

The state audit offices said they welcomed critical discussion of their reports and factual debate, which they said were important for reviewing their findings and improving their work. Any such discussion, however, must focus on the facts, methodology and findings underlying the relevant audit, they said.