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Four ÖVP mayors lost their posts in the second round of the elections in Vorarlberg. One of them stumbled upon a project with businessman Rene Benko.
“Black Sunday for the ÖVP in Vorarlberg” is the headline of the “Kleine Zeitung” in its conclusion on Sunday’s second round in the westernmost state of Austria. The result: Michael Ritsch (SPÖ) prevails in the state capital Bregenz and pushes Markus Linhart (ÖVP) from the mayor’s seat. In Lochau, on Lake Constance, there is even the first green mayor of Vorarlberg: Frank Matt defeats incumbent Michael Simma (ÖVP).
But the Popular Party can also boast of success. Newcomer Simon Tschann (ÖVP) becomes the youngest mayor of Vorarlberg in Bludenz at the age of 28. His party friend Wolfgang Matt defends Feldkirch.
Benko department store costs the mayor his office
Probably the most remarkable thing is the change of mayor in Lech am Arlberg. Long-term Mayor Ludwig Muxel (ÖVP) has been in office since 1993 and must now step down. Stefan Jochum replaces him from the “Our Village” list. The reason: plans for a new community center.
The large project with an investment cost of 38 million euros is already being executed and has been rejected by the population. In July 2020 local merchants warned: Tyrolean real estate investor Rene Benko’s KaDeWe group had unveiled a finished concept for a 2,510-square-meter shopping center in the center of the community center. With this measure, the commercial space in the city would double in one go.
Jochum, who worked for Muxel for many years, criticized the project during the election campaign, with success.
