In the political talk โ๐ก๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ: ๐๐ช๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ต ๐ช๐ด๐ต ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฌ?โ (โTo the point: How corrupt is politics?โ) of the national television ORF III on 24 September 2025, Bettina Knoetzl set out what is urgently needed in Austriaโs important fight against corruption. She emphasized that ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐ง๐ช๐ก๐๐จ (Kronzeugenregelung) must be strengthened so that cases of corruption can be uncovered faster, that the new ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ค๐ข ๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ผ๐๐ฉ must not remain a formality but, rather, be put into practice, and that transparency and integrity need to be actively demonstrated. Politicians, she underlined, must be prepared for the ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐, and ๐๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ must be conducted without unnecessary delay so that justice remains visible and trust in the rule of law is maintained.
Bettina also drew attention to the scope of the damage corruption causes: beyond the billions in material losses to the Austrian State, it inflicts an even more serious, insidious, harm on democracy itself.
Her conclusion could not have been clearer: real progress in the fight against corruption will only be possible if transparency and integrity are a part of everyday practice and when there is a genuine change of mindset within politics and administration. This is not only a task for institutions, but a responsibility for society as a whole. Only if we all demand and live by these standards can democracy be safeguarded for the future.