Woman (105) wants passport

Austria fails to protect South Tyrol

The Republic of Austria is once again failing to protect South Tyrol. The Austrian passport for a 105-year-old catacomb teacher is a long way off, politicians lack the will. But many things are legally possible.

"I was born an Austrian, I want to die an Austrian." So much patriotism from the throat of an actual Italian is currently scaring Austrian politicians.

105-year-old fights for Austrian passport 
The case surrounding 105-year-old South Tyrolean Hermine Aloisia Mayr (widowed Orian) - the former catacomb teacher is reportedly fighting for an Austrian passport - has left Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka and the responsible Interior Minister Gerhard Karner speechless. They simply did not want to comment on the case, they said when asked by the "Krone".

Hermine Aloisia Mayr wants to fight for the red-white-red passport until her last breath.(Bild: zVg)

The legal situation is clear as far as the granting of citizenship on the basis of extraordinary achievements is concerned.

28 cases of "special interest"

The constitution also provides for the granting of citizenship if the federal government confirms that the granting of citizenship is in the special interest of the Republic of Austria due to the extraordinary achievements already made by the foreigner and those still to be expected of them. According to figures from the Ministry of the Interior, 59 proposals were submitted to the Council of Ministers last year - 28 of which were approved.

It is merely pointed out that the wording of the legal text is aimed at extraordinary services already rendered and still to be rendered in the special interest of the Republic. Impossible for a woman of such advanced age, according to the derisive words of some officials.

The first criterion for the catacomb teacher could be argued with the factor of protective power.

Universitätsprofessor Peter Bußjäger sieht rechtliches Potenzial

Bild: Jürgen Radspieler

"Wide margin": law does not equal justice
Constitutional law expert Peter Bußjäger has been familiar with the issue for some time and assesses the hesitation of the political players with a mild smile: "Of course, the criterion with the benefits that can still be expected weighs very heavily, but the federal government also has a great deal of discretion here. The most important question is how strictly the federal government has acted in the past."

Netrebko, Ronivaldo, Solovov: Figureheads? 
And in the case of people such as Russian "Putin friend" Anna Netrebko and Polish "unfortunately-but-not-investor" Michal Solowow, who were granted red-white-red citizenship but in retrospect were not really figureheads for the Alpine republic, there are a number of loopholes in the legal text.

The Polish "unfortunately-but-not-investor" Michal Solowow(Bild: zVg)

The Russian "Putin friend" Anna Netrebko(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Above all, the recent naturalization of Brazil legionnaire Ronivaldo raises questions. For example: What services can a 35-year-old footballer still provide for our country? The fact is, Ms Mayr just lacks the will ...