FragDenStaat.at

Description

FragDenStaat.at is a web platform in Austria that lets people submit official freedom-of-information requests to public authorities under the country’s Informationsfreiheitsgesetz, the federal law on access to information. Users compose a request through the site, which is sent to the chosen public body. The resulting correspondence, including the authority’s reply, is automatically published on the platform on behalf of the person who filed the request. It also provides a dedicated help section for public authorities that receive requests through the service.

One example on the site shows how the process works in practice. A request submitted on 1 September 2025 invoked paragraph 7ff of the Informationsfreiheitsgesetz. It asked Austria’s Federal Ministry of Defence for all letters of intent, memoranda of understanding and contract documents related to a planned purchase of Leonardo aircraft and helicopters, along with a record of contacts and meetings between ministry representatives and the manufacturer from 2020 to 2025.

The ministry replied more than a month later with a redacted document. The requester then formally asked for a written decision under paragraph 11 of the law, after receiving no substantive answer.