SP state parliament president Binder as a DJ at the Burschenbundball afterparty

Binder confirmed this to the APA and contritely explained the situation as an unfortunate chain of circumstances.

On Saturday evening, the annual Burschenbundball took place in the Linzer Palais Kaufmännischer Verein, to which the German national fraternity Arminia Czernowitz, among others, invited. In addition to the Upper Austrian deputy governor Manfred Haimbuchner, regional councilor Günther Steinkellner and the Linz city councilor Michael Raml, the Salzburg deputy governor Marlene Svazek and the Salzburg regional councilor Martin Zauner (all FPÖ) were guests.

Counter-demonstration in front of the ball

It’s not just the ball that has tradition, but also a counter-demonstration and loud criticism in advance. The SPÖ – just like the Greens and the demo organizer “Linz against the right” – sees the ball as one of the largest networking meetings of the extreme right in Europe and also criticizes the fact that the event is under the honorary protection of Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP). And: The state SPÖ, like several other SPÖ organizations, is even part of the “Linz against the right” alliance.

• also read: Demo before the boys’ association ball: “An evening to suit the taste of the police”

It is all the more surprising that the after-party not only took place in the bar of an SPÖ local council, but that the SPÖ state parliament president also personally provided music. “It just happened stupidly,” Binder defended himself. Binder told the APA that he had been asked a long time ago whether he could play for a birthday party in the restaurant, and later he was asked whether it was okay if a few people from the boys’ association ball came to the restaurant – there should be 50 to have been up to 60. It was not clear to him that the celebration was announced on the ball’s website as an official after-party, because it was initially planned in another restaurant and then apparently moved to that of the SPÖ local council.

Binder appeared contrite

Binder appeared contrite: “I will be much more sensitive here in the future. Of course, my anti-fascist attitude cannot be shaken,” he said – and when asked about possible consequences, he added to the APA: “That I have to be even more careful if I pursue my hobby.”

“I demand a clear stance against German nationalist and right-wing extremist networks,” said party leader Lindner in a reaction in the evening. “The stance of the SPÖ Upper Austria against every form of extremism, racism and German nationalist activities remains unmistakable and clear. We will also discuss this in person tomorrow.” However, he left it open whether there would be consequences and rather criticized the governor’s protection of honor as a “wrong signal” and the lack of distance of some fraternities from the extreme right such as the Identitarians.

More participants came to the demo this year than average – the organizers said there were 2,500, the police said there were 1,800. The ball used to be under the patronage of the rector of the Johannes Kepler University in Linz. However, since 2020, the Rectorate has generally no longer provided honor protection for balls – the decision, made in a secret vote by the Senate, can probably be seen in connection with the Burschenbundball.

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