"Residents in danger"

Bacon as election advertising: charges brought against mayor

ÖVP local leader Alfred Riedl was reported by the Citizens' List because of the election advertising gift.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg, feelimage/Matern)

The lack of labeling on food distributed as election advertising has led to the ÖVP local leader Alfred Riedl in Grafenwörth in Lower Austria being reported to the public prosecutor's office. The Citizens' List believes that this endangers the health of the residents.

Well meant is not always well done. The ÖVP in Grafenwörth in the district of Tulln has now found this out. Instead of distributing ballpoint pens or other more or less useful utensils to households, it has given them something edible. Wine, Prosecco, chocolate and bacon were among the items in the gift box. But now Mayor Alfred Riedl, who hit the headlines in 2021 due to controversial land sales and subsequently resigned as head of the Association of Municipalities, is facing criminal charges.

"Gross negligence"
The food was neither labeled nor properly packaged in accordance with applicable regulations. At least that is what Helmut Ferrari, a member of the Citizens' List, claims. He sees the "gross negligence" as endangering the safety of citizens. Specifically, he is particularly concerned about the bacon that was only wrapped in paper.

"We have made inquiries"
When asked by Krone, Riedl emphasized that the box was a campaign by the entire party. However, he was not the ÖVP chairman and therefore not the correct addressee of the complaint to the St. Pölten public prosecutor's office, which he otherwise did not wish to comment on. Municipal party leader Gertrude Enzinger did not go into much more detail. "We asked whether everything complied with the guidelines. Apart from the bacon, which came from a regional butcher, everything was labeled."

Up to 35,000 euros fine
The responsible department in the state confirms that election gifts are also subject to food labeling regulations. Violations are a criminal offense under administrative law. The - theoretical - maximum penalty is 35,000 euros. The district administrative authority decides on the amount.