Several "memories"

Why the city and state of Lower Austria are fighting over corona penalties

Provincial Councillor Christoph Luisser is Lower Austria's "Mr. Corona Fund". He demands cooperation from the city of St. Pölten - in vain.

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Lower Austria's "Mr. Corona Fund", FPÖ state councillor Christoph Luisser, proudly announces that unconstitutional corona fines have been paid back in 572 out of 573 municipalities. Only in Lower Austria's largest city, St. Pölten, no money has yet been paid. Luisser wants to change this - but the powerful SPÖ mayor Matthias Stadler is passing the ball back to him in the government quarter. 

A separate commission has been set up to deal with the coronavirus pandemic throughout Austria, and Lower Austria, which is governed by a black-blue coalition, has even set up its own fund costing around 31 million euros. The repayment of unconstitutional fines is also processed via this pot of money.

Capital as a "Gallic village"
By the end of the year, 500 fines totaling 150,000 euros should have been paid back. And according to the responsible FPÖ provincial councillor Christoph Luisser, repayments have now even been received from 572 out of 573 municipalities. The only Gallic village is, of all places, Lower Austria's largest - the provincial capital St. Pölten.