Judge Claudia Bandion-Ortner (well-known to the public from the Konsum and BAWAG cases) became non-party justice minister, deputy president of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Reinhold Mitterlehner became economics minister and Burgenland state councillor Niki Berlakovich became agriculture minister.
During 2006, the SPÖ was handicapped by its involvement in the "BAWAG scandal" in which directors of the BAWAG, an Austrian bank owned by the Austrian Trade Union Federation (Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund, ÖGB), were accused of corruption, embezzlement and illicit speculation.
BAWAG | BAWAG P.S.K. |
In October 2005, BAWAG approved a loan of 425 million euros to Phillip R. Bennett, then CEO of the commodities broker, Refco, collateralized against Bennett's own holdings in the firm.