National Councillor Franz Hörl

Trouble is now followed by a race for preferential votes

The political drumbeat failed to materialize. Instead, National Councillor Franz Hörl announced that he would invest 18,700 euros in the preferential vote campaign. From 21st place.(Bild: Johanna Birbaumer)

A political bombshell in the Tyrolean ÖVP failed to materialize after all. While it was initially rumored that National Councillor Franz Hörl could form his own list for the autumn elections, the veteran politician is staying in the party after all. But he is putting his money where his mouth is to make it into parliament from 21st place on the list.

Several media outlets had expected a political bombshell beforehand. However, at the press conference on Wednesday, National Councillor Franz Hörl did not announce the formation of his own list after all. He will remain with the ÖVP. As reported, the Zillertal cable car operator and hotelier is in a rather unpromising 21st place on the federal list for the election on September 29. 

"That really annoyed me at first," Hörl admits openly.

I thought about how I should spend the remaining 40 days until the election. Should I retreat into the desert like in the Bible or take a different path?

Franz Hörl

Hörl invests 18,700 euros
"I've been thinking about how I should spend the remaining 40 days until the election. Retreat into the desert like in the Bible or go a different way?" The choice fell on the latter. Now the Zillertal native is taking 18,700 euros out of his own pocket and campaigning for preferential votes. A campaign on social media, numerous election posters, especially in Zillertal, as well as visits to businesses and events across Austria are planned.

Offer for tourism professionals in Austria
"I would like to make an offer to tourism professionals in the country, because tourism is an important pillar of the economy and must be represented in parliament in Vienna." The topics with which the nationwide WK spokesperson for the cable cars wants to score points naturally coincide with those of his party: Reducing bureaucracy and better framework conditions for companies, tackling the shortage of skilled workers in cooperation with other EU countries, further developing tourism and supporting alpine farmers in the fight against the wolf problem.

"It's clear that it will be difficult"
Hörl deliberately does not want to give a figure for how many preferential votes he is hoping for. "I realize that it will be difficult, but I will run, run, run." Incidentally, he now sees position 21 on the list as follows: "People trust me to make it from far behind to far ahead. Just like in a horse race."