Piquant affair in Linz

SP state parliament president DJs for fraternity members

Peter Binder (small photo), Third President of the Upper Austrian Parliament, was the DJ at the official after-party following the controversial Burschenbundball in Linz.

(Bild: eventfoto/Andreas Maringer, MecGreenie Production OG, Krone KREATIV)

A juicy affair for the Social Democrats in Linz: hobby DJ and Third Provincial Parliament President Peter Binder DJed at the official after-party following the controversial Burschenbundball. The Socialist Youth is outraged, regional party chairman Michael Lindner summons Binder tomorrow. The head of the Upper Austrian SPÖ has left open for the time being whether there will be any consequences. 

Up to 2500 demonstrators marched through the provincial capital Linz on Saturday evening and stood - heavily secured by the police - opposite the visitors to the Burschenbundball. The traditional ball event is regarded as a networking meeting for right-wing extremists and is therefore highly controversial. 

Guests at the ball: Marlene Svazek, Manfred Haimbuchner
In any case, the ball was attended by the "who's who" of state politics, including visitors from Salzburg: in addition to Upper Austrian FPÖ chairman Manfred Haimbuchner, Salzburg FPÖ leader and deputy governor Marlene Svazek also danced there. 

"No to right-wing extremists": According to the organizers, up to 2,500 people attended the demonstration against the Burschenbundball.

(Bild: Harald Dostal)

Criticism of the Upper Austrian coalition between the FPÖ and ÖVP. The faces of Deputy Provincial Governor Manfred Haimbuchner and Provincial Premier Thomas Stelzer are crossed out.

(Bild: Harald Dostal)

"No to right-wing extremists": According to the organizers, up to 2500 people attended the demonstration against the Burschenbundball.

(Bild: Harald Dostal)

Up to 2500 demonstrators marched through the provincial capital Linz and stood - heavily secured by the police - opposite the visitors to the Burschenbundball.

(Bild: Harald Dostal)

Closest collaborator made music for the Freedom Party
The "Linz against the Right" alliance called for the demonstration, where posters with the crossed-out faces of FPÖ and ÖVP politicians could be seen. SPÖ Upper Austria Chairman Michael Lindner was also at the forefront of the demonstration. It must have been all the more surprising for him that one of his closest colleagues played music for the fraternity members. 

Officially: the ball ended at the Pianino in Linz, which belongs to a local SPÖ councillor in Linz. Peter Binder (SPÖ), the third president of the provincial parliament, DJs there as a hobby.

(Bild: Screenshot)

After-party venue belongs to an SPÖ local councillor
According to the program, the official after-party took place in the Pianino restaurant in downtown Linz, which in turn belongs to an SPÖ local councillor in Linz. Why was it not noticed that the conclusion of the controversial ball was taking place there of all places? "It was just stupid," defends Peter Binder (SPÖ), the third president of the provincial parliament: The former Deputy Mayor of Linz and MEP Franz Obermayr (FPÖ) had asked if he could come with a few people after the ball. 

The DJ and the host, a picture from the archive: Peter Binder (right) is the third president of the Upper Austrian state parliament. The fraternity members were visiting the Pianino in Linz, which belongs to SPÖ local councillor Harry Katzmayr.

(Bild: Horst Einöder)

"50 to 60 fraternity members have joined"
In the end, it became the official closing event. "We should have taken a much closer look and clarified in advance who was really coming." Officially, the pub was the venue for a birthday party that evening, "the 50 to 60 people from the Burschenbundball then joined us," says Binder. 

Why didn't he stop playing music immediately because of his political affiliation? "We didn't want to do that to the birthday party."

Consequences still unclear
Whether there will be political consequences for Binder and Harry Katzmayr, the owner of the Pianino and SPÖ local councillor, is still unclear. SPÖ provincial chairman Michael Lindner has summoned both comrades to his office on Tuesday. Binder says contritely: "I will be much more sensitive here in future. Of course, my anti-fascist stance cannot be changed."

Binder and Katzmayr should donate money
Party leader Lindner reacted in the evening to Binder's appearance in the SPÖ municipal council's restaurant: "I demand a clear stance against German nationalists and right-wing extremist networks. The position of the SPÖ Upper Austria against any form of extremism, racism and German nationalist activities remains unequivocal and clear. We will also discuss this in person tomorrow." It remains to be seen whether there will be any consequences.

The position of the SPÖ Upper Austria against any form of extremism, racism and German nationalist activities remains unequivocal and clear. We will also discuss this in person tomorrow.

Michael Lindner, Vorsitzender der SPÖ Oberösterreich

Bild: Alexander Schwarzl

"Protection of honor by the governor sends the wrong signal"
Lindner rather criticized the honorary patronage of the Burschenbundball by the Upper Austrian governor Thomas Stelzer as a "wrong signal" and the lack of distance between some fraternities and the extreme right such as the Identitarians.

"Binder and Katzmayr should apologize publicly"
The chairwoman of the Socialist Youth Upper Austria, Eva Reiter, has also spoken out: "We have already discussed the incident internally. We are demanding a public apology from Peter Binder and Harald Katzmayr. We are also asking both of them to donate money. The anti-fascist alliance Linz gegen Rechts, which also organized the demonstration, would be a suitable recipient." For Reiter, the behavior of the two in the party is unacceptable.