EU politician Mayer sent "true German" greetings and sexist photos in FPÖ chats
New chat analyses by Klagenfurt prosecutors show: FPÖ politicians apparently visited a strip club on Panama trips. EU politician Georg Mayer specifically asked about the venue.
FPÖ financial scandal: chats reveal strip club visit and Imperial German flag
New chat analyses by Klagenfurt prosecutors are shedding further light on the financial scandal involving the Styrian FPÖ. According to Der Standard, the authority examined the mobile telephone of former Graz FPÖ club chief Armin Sippel for messages about South American trips. The core question is whether public funds were used for private purposes during trips to Panama and Chile.
The evaluated chats reveal that the blue EU politician Georg Mayer, who sits in Brussels in the "Delegation for Relations with Andean Community Countries", asked Sippel about a specific venue in Panama. He enquired about "the place where we were in Panama" and clarified: "The other hotel." Sippel asked back whether he meant "the rabbits" – the venue in question was Le Palace.
According to its own website, Le Palace describes itself as Panama's best nightclub with the country's most beautiful women. From 22:00 there are performances, later "sensual strip shows". Mayer wrote to Sippel that he wanted to go there again – "with you".
Sexist image material and Imperial German flag
In the travel chats, Mayer also sent a series of sexually suggestive photos. These included an "Easter greeting" depicting female genitalia as bunny ears, as well as an image of an older, rotund woman posing topless with bunny-ear hairband. "An Easter bunny! You rarely see one in the wild anymore," the caption on the image reads.
Beyond that, Mayer sent "true German Easter greetings" to the chat group according to Der Standard: a girl with a basket full of eggs and the flag of the German Reich in her hand. When asked about these images, Mayer did not respond. Also represented in the chats was Dietmar Holzfeind, long-time FPÖ employee in the EU Parliament, who is now secretary-general of the faction Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN), founded by the AfD.
"Champagne-gate" in the background
The mood on the 2018 Panama trip was dampened by the so-called "Champagne-gate" scandal involving the then right-wing faction ENF in the EU Parliament. The scandal – involving over €400,000 in illegal expenses – became public during that very trip. "Those French!", Mayer complained according to the chats. Sippel's reaction: "Just champagne, no prostitutes?"
Three years later, Sippel himself became the centre of a serious financial scandal. Together with former vice-mayor Mario Eustacchio, he resigned at the end of November 2021 after serious irregularities in handling club funds became known. On 31 October 2021, Sippel wrote to acquaintances, including a Graz FPÖ district politician: "With that they have destroyed me. For me it's over. Arividerci [sic!]."
In the newly evaluated chats, Sippel and the district politician speculated that an employee had leaked the scandal to the public. "That's why women have no place in politics," commented the district politician. At the same time, she admitted that some booking lines were "really messed up" and the trip to Chile "was not necessary" – but pointed out that the state parliament club had also travelled for the Trump election and no one in the state party leadership "ever actually checks the numbers".
Eight defendants, nearly two million euros
Klagenfurt prosecutors have been investigating eight defendants since 2021. As the authority confirmed again on Friday, state governor Mario Kunasek continues to be part of this group. The case concerns cash flows totalling nearly two million euros, with a large portion flowing through dubious associations. The suspicion: a significant portion went into the private pockets of Eustacchio and Sippel. The presumption of innocence applies to all named parties.
The case became known shortly after the Graz FPÖ's heavy defeat in the 2021 municipal council elections. Club director Matthias Eder turned himself in; a year later, excluded politicians founded the "Corruption-Free Municipal Council Club" (KFG). The face of the club became Alexis Pascuttini, who is regarded as a whistleblower. In the Graz municipal council elections on 28 June, he is running for the Neos.
City party under state control
Five years after the scandal became public, the FPÖ is heading into the next ballot without charges in the main strand of the proceedings. Nationwide, at state level and in the 2024 EU elections, the party largely unaffected by the scandal was able to make gains. Kunasek became Styria's first FPÖ state governor.
The Graz city party, by contrast, is severely depleted. National council member Axel Kassegger was appointed by Kunasek as Graz FPÖ chief; the lead candidate became the little-known René Apfelknab. Shortly before the election, two deputy city party leaders were excluded via emergency order for "systematic disloyalty" – one was a parliamentary aide to Kassegger, the other was third on the candidate list. The state FPÖ spoke of an attempted "palace revolution".
The financial scandal, which engulfed the entire then-leadership of the Graz FPÖ, continues to cast political shadows years later – within the party and before the courts.
Source: Der Standard