Municipality of Vorchdorf is suing local politicians

Local politics in Vorchdorf is richer by a bizarre fact: In the most recent meeting, the municipal council decided with the votes of the ÖVP, SPÖ, FPÖ, Greens and Neos to sue community leader Wolfgang Ettinger (Vorchdorf list) for trespassing. The accusation: He obstructed public property with trailers, low loaders and construction equipment – allegedly to prevent asphalting.

“With this approach, Ettinger has crossed a red line as chairman of the building and road committee,” says ÖVP parliamentary group chairman Christian Beisl. “You cannot simply block public property because you have a personal problem with asphalting a section.”

Ettinger sees it differently: “The road would have been asphalted illegally. I wanted to protect the municipal official from abuse of office.”

In fact, it should be about much more than a piece of asphalt. Since the Vorchdorf list has been represented on the municipal council, disputes and mutual trust have determined political work in Vorchdorf. When the list made four motions at the most recent municipal council meeting, the SPÖ parliamentary group left the plenum to protest against the list’s “populism” and “scandalization policy”.

The surprising resignation of Mayor Gunter Schimpl (ÖVP) shortly before the autumn elections is also associated with the Vorchdorf list and its aggressive style.

The list itself sees itself as a group of uncoverers that is annoying to the other factions and is therefore fought by them.