Fabienne Lackner

“The curfew regulation is far too conservative”

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(Bild: APA/Barbara Gindl)

Ancient provincial law should be adapted to modern requirements, demands 26-year-old member of parliament Fabienne Lackner (NEOS).

"When people are dancing late into the night in other federal states, it's already dark here," complains Fabienne Lackner, NEOS youth and tourism spokesperson. The reason for this is the conservative curfew regulations. According to a nationwide law, pubs have to close at 1 am and bars at 2 am. Discotheques and clubs are not even mentioned in the law, which is older than the NEOS mandate.

"Other federal states do not differentiate between types of business and have longer opening hours. They have adapted to social needs and become more modern," criticizes the 26-year-old. Once again, the Ländle is the most conservative in Austria.

It is the most conservative here. When people are dancing late into the night in other federal states, it's already dark here.

Fabienne Lackner

Although it is possible to apply to the relevant municipality for an extension, the restaurateur is always dependent on the goodwill of the members of the municipal council or the mayor. "In many municipalities there are no problems. You don't have to reapply every year," explains Lackner. In other municipalities, however, pub operators who are not allowed to stay open for longer are being thwarted.

Lackner argues that the rigid rules on closing times restrict the entrepreneurial freedom of an entire industry and have a long-term impact on cultural life, tourism and the attractiveness of a province. In a state parliamentary motion, she calls for the ordinance to be revised in cooperation with representatives of the night-time catering industry.