Vienna (OTS) – The opinion research institute SORA has seriously damaged itself with its “SPÖ strategy paper”. The ORF announced its “supercomputer of the nation”. Insight into the toxic situation in a small political market.
The recent affair surrounding the “SPÖ strategy paper” provides insight into the small Austrian market when it comes to independent work in the area of opinion research. In fact, this hardly seems possible. And it shows once again: too much closeness is poison. It’s difficult not to run into each other in a small country, not to be on first name terms, not to get along with each other. Survey institutes do not selflessly seek proximity to the political-media complex. Parties keep the doors open. The prerequisites for a toxic mixture are present. The arc ranges from allegations of corruption – impressively documented by the ongoing investigations in connection with the manipulated surveys that once paved Sebastian Kurz’s path to the Chancellery. Or in the most recent case, how attempts are made to expand the sources of income for an institution.
The opinion research institute SORA tried the second and announced it to the public through a glitch. How embarrassing or how stupid, depending on your point of view. Now it is completely understandable if a polling institute wants to serve a party in order to get a strategy and consulting contract for the upcoming election year. Günther Ogris, who had already been close to the SPÖ but did not appear as an advisor, tried to do this. The only problem is: SORA advertises itself as an independent opinion and social research institute. Much worse: SORA is known throughout Austria due to its election analyses. The second managing director, Christoph Hofinger, is responsible for this. He and his team have been providing ORF projections for years. Of the three projection institutes operating in this country, SORA has been producing the most competent work for years. Exact. But that’s over now. The ORF, which was under pressure from politicians, canceled its collaboration with SORA after the “SPÖ strategy paper” became known. And yes, the ORF couldn’t help it. He couldn’t have afforded another target. The ORF argues comprehensibly with “credibility and objectivity”.
The SPÖ also indirectly gets a kiss on the hand through the affair. A welcome opportunity for political opponents to attack chairman Andreas Babler. Even if the SPÖ has not given SORA an order, the ÖVP and FPÖ will try to establish a connection all the way to the former core advisor Tal Silberstein. This is more than just constructed, but it is part of the political business, which is largely toxic.
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