Embarrassing mishap

Embarrassing mishap: ÖVP election internals sent out!

The embarrassing faux pas happened in the office of the Hietzing district leader.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Peter Tomschi, zur Verfügung gestellt)

Good ideas and concepts are essential for every campaigning party in an election campaign. It's just stupid when these are then sent to all the elected representatives in the district - of all parties. This is what happened in the black core district of Hietzing.

The piquant thing about it: the internal document was sent by a municipal employee of district leader Nikolaus Ebert (ÖVP). Moreover, it was sent during working hours via the e-mail address of the employer, which in this case is the City of Vienna. However, a strict distinction must be made between administrative and political work. In addition, no municipal resources may be used for election campaign purposes.

ÖVP Vienna passes the ball to the district
"We cannot understand why an employee of the Hietzing district council forwarded this document," says the Vienna People's Party. They are not involved in the internal processes and of course adhere to the legal requirements. Postscript: "The district representation election campaigns are run by the respective district parties, as has been the case in Vienna for decades. A clear separation between public office and party work is a matter of course and mandatory for us."

The employee made a minor faux pas and mistakenly sent the document to all district councillors.

Christian Gerzabek (ÖVP), Bezirksvorsteher-Stellvertreter Hietzing

Bild: Weinwurm-Fotografie.at

The district is seeking clarification. "It is malicious and unfair that political parties are trying to make small change with this. The others do it too. There are no big secrets in the letter," says Ebert's deputy, Christian Gerzabek (ÖVP). But what is the content?

The distribution of tasks for the ÖVP party functionaries during home visits, distribution campaigns and various events. And they are weatherproof: "No snow, rain and cold = no problem." Appointments are made with SPÖ city councillor Ulli Sima and events are mentioned during the distribution campaigns. Also important to the party: the issue of the connecting railroad ("Rethink and get back to the start"), the search for a name for a meadow and a new local supplier on Küniglberg.

The city council employee sent the secret ÖVP concept for the Vienna elections to all other parties.(Bild: zur Verfügung gestellt)

Neos are angry and heavily criticized
"It is clear to us that things cannot go on like this and such a misuse of taxpayers' money must not be the basis for the upcoming election campaign", criticizes Johannes Bachleitner, deputy head of the Neos-Hietzing club. The Pinken do not intend to take any legal action at present.