Edtstadler declines to testify before Pilnacek inquiry

Salzburg Governor Karoline Edtstadler has declined an invitation to testify before the parliamentary inquiry into the Christian Pilnacek case, while Chancellor Christian Stocker is due to face questions on Wednesday afternoon, ORF reported.

Edtstadler cited scheduling conflicts. She was invited in her capacity as former minister for Europe and constitutional affairs in the Federal Chancellery, a post she held from 2020 to 2025.

Two police officers are due to testify before Stocker. They were directly involved in the wrong-way drive by Pilnacek shortly before his death. Stocker is the third serving government member to appear before the inquiry, following Justice Minister Anna Sporrer and Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.

Former Chancellor Karl Nehammer has also excused himself from testifying. The FPÖ is considering seeking an extension of the inquiry, with a decision due by Thursday at noon. The current schedule sets 3 November as the expected end of the evidence-gathering phase.

The inquiry is examining the investigation into the death of former Justice Ministry section head Christian Pilnacek during the night of 19 to 20 October 2023. It is the first parliamentary inquiry launched solely at the FPÖ’s request. The party says investigators neglected possible links between Pilnacek’s death and his contacts with the ÖVP.