Martin Graf
Encyclopedia
Martin Graf is an Austria
n politician. He is member of the Freedom Party of Austria
and currently third president of the Austrian Parliament
.
. He graduated in 1987 and trained as a lawyer
. In his student days, he became a member of the student fraternity Burschenschaft Olympia which is considered far-right by the Archive of the Austrian Resistance (DÖW). From 1994 to 2002 and again since 2006, he has been a member of the Austrian Parliament. The years in between, he was managing director of the Austrian Research Centers
; from 2000 until 2006 he also served as a board member of the PVA, a government-owned insurance company. Graf is the president of Viennese football club FC Hellas Kagran. He is married and has three children.
which put the Freedom Party in third place, on October 28, 2008, he was elected the National Council's third president, despite heavy opposition by the Green Party of Austria, which fielded its own candidate, Alexander van der Bellen
, and by the Jewish community of Vienna, by artists and intellectuals who strongly disapprove of Graf. Efraim Zuroff
from the Simon Wiesenthal Center
also expressed deep concern over the "well-known ties" Graf has with extreme right groups.
His opponents consider Graf to be unsuitable for the office because of his rightist leanings and continuing Burschenschaft Olympia membership. The said student fraternity, which still practises academic fencing
, is alleged to have Neo-Nazi links. In the discussions prior to his election, he condemned National Socialism and anti-Semitism
, but said he would in any event remain a member of the Burschenschaft. Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache
called the election of Graf a "victory for democracy" and emphasized his belief that Graf was a seasoned and "irreproachable parlamentarian".
On February 12, 2009, the Public Prosecutor's office in Vienna
asked the parliament to lift his immunity
, because they want to charge him with embezzlement
and fraud
in connection with his former job as a manager of the Austrian Research Centers
. The prosecutors focus on Graf's severance payment and bonus he got when the ARC was in financial difficulties. Graf denies the allegations, calling them "baseless".
In April, Graf hosted the presentation of a book written by his party colleague Andreas Mölzer
containing strong criticism of the European Union
, in the rooms of the Austrian parliament
. Mölzer's weekly newspaper "Zur Zeit" is labelled anti-semitic by its opponents. The keynote speaker at that event was Walter Marinovic, a former teacher who has links to the hard-right National Democratic Party of Germany
and also writes for the Deutsche Nationalzeitung of Gerhard Frey
. A deputy of the Green Party protested against Marinovic's invitation.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n politician. He is member of the Freedom Party of Austria
Freedom Party of Austria
The Freedom Party of Austria is a political party in Austria. Ideologically, the party is a direct descendant of the German national liberal camp, which dates back to the 1848 revolutions. The FPÖ itself was founded in 1956 as the successor to the short-lived Federation of Independents , which had...
and currently third president of the Austrian Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
.
Biography
Graf was born in Vienna and studied law at the University of ViennaUniversity of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. He graduated in 1987 and trained as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. In his student days, he became a member of the student fraternity Burschenschaft Olympia which is considered far-right by the Archive of the Austrian Resistance (DÖW). From 1994 to 2002 and again since 2006, he has been a member of the Austrian Parliament. The years in between, he was managing director of the Austrian Research Centers
Austrian Research Centers
The Austrian Institute of Technology is an Austrian application-oriented R&D company, employing more than 850 people in various locations across Austria...
; from 2000 until 2006 he also served as a board member of the PVA, a government-owned insurance company. Graf is the president of Viennese football club FC Hellas Kagran. He is married and has three children.
Controversy and Criticism
Following the 2008 general electionAustrian legislative election, 2008
A legislative snap election for the National Council in Austria was held on 28 September 2008. The previous election was held on 1 October 2006. The election was caused by the withdrawal of Austrian People's Party leader Wilhelm Molterer from the governing grand coalition on 7 July 2008...
which put the Freedom Party in third place, on October 28, 2008, he was elected the National Council's third president, despite heavy opposition by the Green Party of Austria, which fielded its own candidate, Alexander van der Bellen
Alexander Van der Bellen
Alexander Van der Bellen is an Austrian economist and politician, chairman of the parliamentary club and federal spokesperson of the Austrian Green Party from 1997 to 2008....
, and by the Jewish community of Vienna, by artists and intellectuals who strongly disapprove of Graf. Efraim Zuroff
Efraim Zuroff
Efraim Zuroff is an Israeli historian of American origin, who has played a role in bringing Nazis indicted for war crimes to trial...
from the Simon Wiesenthal Center
Simon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
also expressed deep concern over the "well-known ties" Graf has with extreme right groups.
His opponents consider Graf to be unsuitable for the office because of his rightist leanings and continuing Burschenschaft Olympia membership. The said student fraternity, which still practises academic fencing
Academic fencing
Academic fencing or Mensur is the traditional kind of fencing practiced by some student corporations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and to a minor extent in Kosovo, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Flanders.- Technique :Modern academic fencing, the "mensur," is neither a duel nor a sport...
, is alleged to have Neo-Nazi links. In the discussions prior to his election, he condemned National Socialism and anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
, but said he would in any event remain a member of the Burschenschaft. Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache
Heinz-Christian Strache
Heinz-Christian Strache is an Austrian politician, member of parliament, former member of the Vienna city council and political leader of the Freedom Party of Austria . He is a right-wing politician and an efficient populist...
called the election of Graf a "victory for democracy" and emphasized his belief that Graf was a seasoned and "irreproachable parlamentarian".
On February 12, 2009, the Public Prosecutor's office in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
asked the parliament to lift his immunity
Parliamentary immunity
Parliamentary immunity, also known as legislative immunity, is a system in which members of the parliament or legislature are granted partial immunity from prosecution. Before prosecuting, it is necessary that the immunity be removed, usually by a superior court of justice or by the parliament itself...
, because they want to charge him with embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
and fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
in connection with his former job as a manager of the Austrian Research Centers
Austrian Research Centers
The Austrian Institute of Technology is an Austrian application-oriented R&D company, employing more than 850 people in various locations across Austria...
. The prosecutors focus on Graf's severance payment and bonus he got when the ARC was in financial difficulties. Graf denies the allegations, calling them "baseless".
In April, Graf hosted the presentation of a book written by his party colleague Andreas Mölzer
Andreas Mölzer
Andreas Mölzer is an Austrian politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Freedom Party of Austria.- Biography :...
containing strong criticism of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, in the rooms of the Austrian parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. Mölzer's weekly newspaper "Zur Zeit" is labelled anti-semitic by its opponents. The keynote speaker at that event was Walter Marinovic, a former teacher who has links to the hard-right National Democratic Party of Germany
National Democratic Party of Germany
The National Democratic Party of Germany – The People's Union , is a far right German nationalist party. It was founded in 1964 a successor to the German Reich Party . Party statements self-identify as Germany's "only significant patriotic force"...
and also writes for the Deutsche Nationalzeitung of Gerhard Frey
Gerhard Frey
Gerhard Frey is a German mathematician, known for his work in number theory. His Frey curve, a construction of an elliptic curve from a purported solution to the Fermat equation, was central to Wiles' proof of Fermat's Last Theorem....
. A deputy of the Green Party protested against Marinovic's invitation.