After Navalny's death

Russian property purchases in Tyrol pose a mystery

The NEOS now want to follow up the "unctuous words" of Austrian politicians on Navalny's death with action.

(Bild: Jonathan Stutz - stock.adobe.com)

In light of the death of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, the NEOS criticized the alleged lack of transparency in real estate purchases in Tyrol on Monday. Following a request for administrative assistance from the federal government, it became known that 23 Russian and Belarusian citizens had bought property in Tyrol over the last ten years. According to Tyrol's NEOS leader Dominik Oberhofer and MP Stephanie Krisper, the state government concealed their identities. The government invoked data protection.

The purchase transactions - according to Oberhofer, these "presumably all took place before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine" - must go through an official approval process. A "public interest" must also be justified. Since the 23 real estate deals became known, "we have been trying to find out where and why this public interest exists in the respective purchases", said Oberhofer, who also announced further questions about this in the Tyrolean state parliament at an online press conference.

He was "shocked that the Tyrolean state government, and above all the Tyrolean governor (Anton Mattle, ÖVP, note), has shown little interest in bringing transparency to the matter". The fact that they are "hiding behind data protection" is "incomprehensible to him. After all, it is a matter of public interest." However, Oberhofer conceded that there could ultimately also be an economic interest - but that "political interventions" were problematic, which would also happen.

Governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP) is accused of a "lack of interest" in the case.

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

Navalny did research in Tyrol in 2019
In view of the "unctuous words" of Austrian politicians on Navalny's death, Krisper, a member of the National Council, said it was now important to "follow up with action" and implement the sanctions packages "in the best possible way to offer Navalny's commitment the best possible support and weaken Putin". Navalny himself conducted research in Tyrol in 2019 and brought to light several cases of Russian investments in Tyrol. After all, "every property purchase by Russians is a gateway for dubious money flows" - this and the "straw men" created as a result would make it more difficult to enforce the sanctions, Krisper said.

Incidentally, Putin's daughter probably owns a villa in Kitzbühel:

The pink politician found it "very irritating" that the Tyrolean state government only took action after a request for administrative assistance from the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN). She could not understand why they "do not automatically get together on their own initiative for every package of sanctions" and consider "how they can react". For Oberhofer, the sanctions in Tyrol had had "no consequences to date": "I would insinuate that there is something to hide." After all, the "public interest" had been dealt with "very generously" in the past.

The deputy governor responsible, Josef Geisler (ÖVP), emphasized in response to an APA inquiry that the state of Tyrol had "fully complied" with the request for administrative assistance and that "all information on legal acquisitions by Russian citizens" had been passed on to the federal government. At the same time, he passed the ball to Vienna: "Any further measures are now the responsibility of the federal government. For data protection reasons, it is not possible for the state of Tyrol to publish the names of the 23 buyers."

ÖVP speaks of "poisoning" the political climate
Meanwhile, ÖVP party leader Jakob Wolf launched fierce attacks on the NEOS on Monday. The Pinken were poisoning the political climate in the country with their "unfounded accusations", Wolf explained in a press release. It is "absolutely disconcerting if Dominik Oberhofer is now using Viennese political methods of mutual sniping just to catch a cheap headline in Tyrol", said the black party leader. "Changing political small change with international politics in Tyrol is highly inappropriate in this case", Wolf attacked the Tyrolean NEOS and called it "audacious to insinuate that the Tyrolean state government is trying to cover up any business with Russia". "Surely Oberhofer is not seriously accusing the Tyrolean state government of being Putin-friendly?", the club leader asked the opposition party in conclusion.