Reprimand from the party leader

Linz: SPÖ DJ gets off with a “black eye”

Binder DJed at the official after-party after the Burschenbundball.(Bild: eventfoto/Andreas Maringer, Land OÖ/Stinglmayr, Krone KREATIV)

The affair surrounding the third president of the Upper Austrian state parliament is off the table within the party: after a meeting with SPÖ chairman Michael Lindner, hobby DJ Peter Binder, who played at the after-party of fraternity members, apologized. He retains his position, now wants to financially support the work of the "Linz against the Right" alliance and says: "I made a wrong decision that day, for which I apologize."

At 3 p.m., SPÖ provincial parliament president Peter Binder was invited to talk to the party chairman. The politician explained once again how the "chance" encounter on Saturday night came about. 

After a conversation with SPÖ chairman Michael Lindner, hobby DJ Peter Binder, who played at the after-party of fraternity members, apologized.(Bild: eventfoto/Andreas Maringer, Land OÖ/Stinglmayr, Krone KREATIV)

Officially, the Pianino restaurant owned by Linz SPÖ councillor Harald Katzmayr was the venue for a birthday party that evening, "the 50 to 60 people from the fraternity ball then joined in", says Binder. Previously, former FPÖ MEP Franz Obermayr had asked "his good friend" Katzmayr whether it would be okay for him if they stopped by after the Burschenbundball.

Ignorance is no defense against consequences.

SPÖ-Oberösterreich-Chef Michael Lindner

SPÖ Upper Austria leader Michael Lindner showed Binder the yellow card and said: "Ignorance does not protect against consequences. For this reason, I had a very open and clarifying discussion with Peter Binder today on this serious matter. We reached an agreement that clearly shows that the Upper Austrian Social Democratic Party has a clear stance against German nationalists and right-wing extremist networks."

Binder: "I ask for your forgiveness"
Peter Binder apologizes with these words: "I made a wrong decision that day, for which I apologize. Ever since I became involved in politics, I have spoken out against right-wing extremism and German nationalism. As an event, the Burschenbundball stands for these ideologies, and I failed to draw an unmistakable dividing line on this day. As a democrat and anti-fascist, that would have been my historical duty, which I failed to fulfill. I deeply regret that!"