Innsbruck (OTS) – The Riedl case contributes to a further loss of trust in political representatives. No sense of injustice, no insight. There is no action – or only when there is no other option. And that halfheartedly.
There is an inglorious tradition in local politics: victimhood. It is currently coming from the President of the Association of Municipalities.
“I didn’t deserve the media attacks and all the speculation, and my family didn’t deserve it,” says Alfred Riedl. It’s about real estate transactions in Grafenwörth, where Riedl has been mayor for more than 30 years.
He is said to have earned one million euros through the purchase and sale of his land and the rededication in the municipal council from green to building land – the ÖVP has the absolute majority. In order to realize the project “Sonnenweiher” vulgo “Klein-Dubai”, Riedl sold the land to the Niederösterreichische Versicherung. He is on the board of directors of the state-owned company. The cause was reported as early as 2021, but Riedl was elected head of the community association in March 2022 for another five years.
Other property deals that are good for him have become public these days. Now, after a crisis meeting of the community coordinators, Riedl has put his function “dormant”. Shortly before the meeting, ÖVP Chancellor Karl Nehammer Riedl had defended: He knew him as a president who was “passionately” committed to the mayors and communities.
Riedl then acted half-heartedly, not because his passion for his own cause was too great and also politically unaffordable. Because of the pressure from within his own ranks, that of different colored representatives of the municipalities, he is no longer chairing them for the time being.
His party colleagues also seem to have realized that the Riedl case is also damaging to the other local leaders. The majority of the more than 2000 of them come from the ÖVP. Unfortunately, because of cases like these, people sometimes generalize: “These aren’t all good guys.”
In other countries, such as Germany, it is common practice to resign if behavior does not conform to tasks and responsibilities. In Austria, people are bricking and lamenting. Those whose activities become public, who are unacceptable, pose as “scapegoats”. The well-known and popular argument: As long as someone has not been convicted of a crime, everything is fine. That’s not it.
Especially for high representatives, a judge’s verdict should not be the yardstick. Decency and morality are essential in such roles. This like that has no tradition in local politics for too many.
Questions & contact:
Tiroler Tageszeitung
0512 5354 5101
editor-in-chief@tt.com
