Despite resistance

Referendum for a federal hunting law stopped

21,466 supporters offended.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Leopold Kanzler)

Animal protection initiative in Austria severely wounded: The application for the referendum for a uniform federal regulation of hunting was not granted by the Federal Minister of the Interior. The "Krone" has the opinion of the competent authority on this decision.

The Ecological Hunting Association Austria, AG Wildtiere, together with "Tierschutz Austria" and "Verein gegen Tierfabriken" have launched the referendum "For a Federal Hunting Act" . It states: "Hunting must serve the interests of society as a whole and be carried out in an ecologically and animal welfare-friendly manner." Currently, hunting, which is regulated differently in nine federal state laws, does not meet these demands.

Ministry of the Interior ignores initiative
21,466 people have submitted a declaration of support for the initiation of the referendum - more than required for approval. Now the great horror: "The Federal Minister of the Interior did not approve the application to initiate the referendum 'For a Federal Hunting Act'," it says on the BMI website.

"The decision of the Ministry of the Interior contradicts democratic principles. An appeal against the rejection decision was therefore necessary - now it is up to the Federal Administrative Court. We are very confident that we will be proven right and be able to carry out the referendum after all," says Dr. Alexander Pflaum, the lawyer responsible and, as an eco-hunter himself, an active supporter of the referendum "For a Federal Hunting Act".

Tierschutz Austria" and the "Verein gegen Tierfabriken" (VGT) promptly made their protest against the authorities' decision public with a night-time projection onto the Federal Chancellery.(Bild: Alois Haunschmidt)

The treatment of wild animals in Austria is in urgent need of fundamental reform. We continue to fight for our democratic right - and for the protection of animals!

Initiatoren des Volksbegehrens

Auf „Krone“-Anfrage

Stellungnahme vom Bundesministerium für Inneres:

"In all electoral matters, including referendums, legal provisions must be interpreted strictly according to the wording, according to the case law of the Constitutional Court. The authorities therefore have no room for discretion or interpretation. There was a legal deficiency in the application to initiate the referendum 'For a Federal Hunting Act', which could not be remedied due to the existing legal situation. After careful examination, the application could therefore not be granted. This decision can be appealed to the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) within four weeks of notification."