Property spied on

“Spy drone” used against mayor

A drone (symbolic image) was used to take pictures of the private property of the head of the ÖVP in Lichtenwörth.(Bild: Molnar Attila)

We have come a long way. Apparently, any means is now acceptable for targeting political opponents. In Lichtenwörth, the opposition even used a drone to gather "ammunition" against ÖVP mayor Manuel Zusag. The dispute over "political espionage" has now reached state level ... 

The level of political debate in Lichtenwörth now seems to have reached rock bottom. Relations between the ÖVP and SPÖ have been tense for years in the small municipality in the district of Wiener Neustadt.

Accusations were unfounded
However, a (failed) motion of no confidence including a (now discontinued) complaint of suspected corruption against the black head of the municipality apparently caused all the dams to break. Specifically, Mayor Manuel Zusag was accused of accepting benefits and gifts during work on his property in connection with the redesign of the main street.

Recordings with a drone
The case was initiated by the Citizens' List with the support of the local SPÖ party. As it turned out, the accusations were based on photos of Zusag's plot taken by a Citizens' List member from a drone.

Now the time has come: the SPÖ is no longer just adopting communist ideas, but apparently also communist methods.

Sebastian Stark, Landesobmann der Jungen Volkspartei

No distancing
As the SPÖ leadership has not yet distanced itself from this "espionage action", the ÖVP has fired back. Illegal drone surveillance had been used to discredit a successful mayor: "The fact that SPÖ chairman Sven Hergovich has remained silent about these Stasi methods is unacceptable," raged ÖVP regional managing director Matthias Zauner

JVP leader Sebastian Stark with "intercepted" drone in front of the SPÖ headquarters in St. Pölten(Bild: JVP NÖ)

JVP on the hunt for drones
The Junge VP has now gone one step further. Regional chairman Sebastian Stark went out with a landing net to "symbolically capture a spy drone" in front of the SPÖ headquarters in St. Pölten. His argument: "Such surveillance drones must not become part of the political culture in the country!"