"A small thank you"

At the state’s expense at the EM: turmoil surrounding Tyrol’s SPÖ leader

Georg Dornauer's (SPÖ) visit to the European Championship match between Austria and the Netherlands is currently causing a stir.

(Bild: APA/EXPA/ERICH SPIESS)

Another furor surrounding Tyrol's SPÖ leader Georg Dornauer. The deputy governor was given tickets to one of Austria's European Championship matches in Germany. The trip was financed with state funds. There was criticism from the FPÖ and NEOS.

Dornauer is being criticized by the opposition for attending the European Championship soccer match between the Netherlands and Austria in Berlin last Tuesday.

Receiving tickets as a gift from the soccer association
The reason: he received free tickets from the Tyrolean Football Association (TFV) and paid for his travel expenses from the state's funds, as reported by the "Tiroler Tageszeitung" on Saturday. 

Citing Dornauer's press spokeswoman, the report stated that Dornauer had officially attended the European Championship match, which ended in Austria's victory, with two members of his staff. The tickets had been made available to him by the TFV.

Trip at national expense
"All other costs incurred for the Deputy Governor and two employees will be paid from the funds available in the government office," said Dornauer's office. In addition to the match, meetings were held in Berlin with TFV officials and volunteers.

Association justifies action
TFV President Josef Geisler explained that the association had provided Dornauer with four tickets. Geisler emphasized that Dornauer had not approached the association on his own initiative. The regional sports councillor "always has an open ear for the association and the clubs". The cards were provided as a "small thank you", so to speak. The TFV will receive a maximum of 400,000 euros from the state for its youth academy this year.

The sports councillor always has an open ear for the association and the clubs. The cards have been provided as a small thank you, so to speak.

TFV-Präsident Josef Geisler

There are no compliance regulations for members of the provincial parliament and government in Tyrol. The same applies to the acceptance of gifts, according to an inquiry.

FPÖ criticizes lack of compliance rules
The opposition parties, the FPÖ and NEOS, have taken aim at Dornauer. FPÖ state party chairman Markus Abwerzger said that the added value of Dornauer's presence in Berlin "for the state of Tyrol, the Tyrolean taxpayer or Tyrolean sport is not clear to me". The lack of compliance rules was "appalling". Dornauer once again showed "little sense of correct behavior." He also questions whether "as a member of government, Dr. Dornauer is even allowed to accept gifts, such as tickets, for himself and his employees."

NEOS state spokesperson "shocked"
NEOS state spokesperson and club chairman Dominik Oberhofer expressed a similar view: it was more than questionable that Dornauer "would simply accept a gift from the Tyrolean Football Association, which receives so much taxpayers' money. "What is absolutely not acceptable, however, is that the party prince of the Tyrolean state government should have his trip to Berlin financed by the taxpayers," said Oberhofer, who was "shocked" that there were still no compliance rules for the state government.

Information demanded from Dornauer
Green Party leader Gebi Mair told ORF Tirol that he expected the provincial government to "avoid any impression of corruptibility in a super clean way." A clear stance is needed from all members of the government and the provincial governor. Mair demanded information from Dornauer as to what other gifts he had received or demanded.

Markus Sint, chairman of Liste Fritz, once again demanded an absolute ban on donations, advertisements and sponsorship for politicians, political parties and organizations close to them. "The other parties have been fighting this tooth and nail for years. The current debate now shows how wrong and disastrous this is," he told ORF Tirol.