Request from the Greens

Dornauer: Minister should now provide answers

Difficult times for Georg Dornauer.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

"I am not resigning, but I am stepping aside", emphasized Georg Dornauer, still deputy governor of Tyrol and still head of the SPÖ provincial party, in his "personal statement" on Wednesday. The inglorious hunting trip with bankrupt René Benko was his undoing. While it is still unclear whether the judiciary will initiate an investigation, the Greens have submitted a request to the Minister of the Interior. Keyword: weapons ban.

A look back at 2019: Dornauer was banned from carrying weapons after he left his hunting rifle with the magazine inserted in his car with the window open at Innsbruck Airport.

Security guards discovered the weapon belonging to the then Tyrolean opposition politician. The authorities issued an indefinite weapons ban, which was subsequently confirmed by the provincial administrative court. This was also linked to the loss of his hunting license and the confiscation of his weapon. Dornauer had only recently announced his intention to apply for a revocation.

Then the "hunting affair" came to light
Due to the latest developments, the probability of this happening is probably close to zero. A photo of a hunting trip in Styria with bankrupt René Benko and a Tyrolean hotelier friend, which was made available to the "Krone", put Dornauer in a tight spot at the beginning of the week. The pressure was ultimately too great - Dornauer resigned as deputy governor and party leader, but wants to remain a member of the Tyrolean parliament for the time being.

Dornauer withdraws, but only takes one step to the side.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

"There has been no breach of the law, there has been no damage and I have not accepted any invitation," Dornauer affirmed. He did not shoot the deer in the picture in question - affidavits would prove this, among other things.

Parliamentary question to the Minister of the Interior
The Dornauer case has now moved from Graz to the public prosecutor's office in Innsbruck! They are now examining whether to open an investigation. Aside from this, the Greens are also asking questions at federal level - in the form of a parliamentary question to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP).

Nobody should be able to do it themselves, especially not top politicians.

Barbara Neßler (Grüne)

Bild: Parlamentsdirektion/Johannes Zinner

"With our parliamentary question to the Ministry of the Interior, we want to get clear answers as to whether Georg Dornauer actually acted unlawfully. This is why the case urgently needs to be clarified even after the half resignation. Nobody should be able to judge for themselves, especially not top politicians", explained Barbara Neßler, member of the Tyrolean National Council, to the "Krone" newspaper.

Questions to the Minister (excerpt)

• Has the Ministry become aware of any new information since Mr. Dornauer applied for the lifting of the weapons ban that could be relevant in the decision-making process on the lifting of the ban, in particular in connection with the investigations by the Graz public prosecutor's office?
• Are there any other security regulations that apply to political office holders such as Mr. Dornauer if they wish to have a weapons ban lifted?
• To what extent is the Minister aware of whether Mr. Dornauer carried a firearm during the recent hunting event in Styria and whether this violated the existing weapons ban?
• What are the consequences for people who take part in a hunt despite the existing weapons ban or otherwise violate the weapons ban?
• Is participation in a hunt - even without a weapon - also a violation of the weapons ban?

The social democrat and the bankrupt
The fact that bankrupt René Benko played a central role in the hunting trip also annoys the Greens. "One day before the national elections, the SPÖ is canvassing for votes for a fair and affordable Austria. On the same day, a leading Social Democrat goes on a private hunt with investor Benko. A bankrupt who is costing the taxpayer millions and millions."

In any case, the current "state of the SPÖ" is "more than chaotic". "So far, no clean line has been drawn. What remains is a frightening picture of morals," concluded Barbara Neßler.