Doris Lang-Mayerhofer

Linz city councillor as saleswoman at furniture fair

Doris Lang-Mayerhofer has been targeted by her political opponents. How much does she separate her private business commitments from her political activities?

(Bild: Werner Kerschbaummayr/FOTOKERSCHI.AT / KERSCHBAUMMAYR)

Doris Lang-Mayerhofer, a member of Linz's ÖVP party, has come under fire from her opponents. The 42-year-old is accused of being far too lax in her dealings between business and politics - and rightly so? The "Krone" has new details and takes a look into the past.  

How much does the Linz ÖVP city councillor Doris Lang-Mayerhofer (she turned 42 in April) separate her political and private lives? This question has been the subject of public debate for a few days now. As reported by the "Krone" newspaper, her name and that of the company Maylan, in which she holds a 50 percent stake, appear in a KPMG compliance report. For a new foyer in the Brucknerhaus, exactly 67,608 euros flowed into the coffers of the family business, which her husband officially runs as managing director.

The members of the City Senate of Linz and the mayors of the cities of Wels and Steyr are not permitted to pursue a profession for gain while in office. § Section 2 (2) and (3) of the Incompatibility and Transparency Act apply mutatis mutandis with the proviso that the respective municipal council takes the place of the incompatibility committee. The Upper Austrian Incompatibility Procedure Act for members of a municipal senate applies mutatis mutandis.

Oö. Gemeinde-Bezügegesetz, §2 

This is all a sideshow to the actual affair, which is about the director of the Brucknerhaus, Dietmar Kerschbaum, who was dismissed by Mayor Klaus Luger.

Born in the Innviertel region and a master carpenter, Lang-Mayerhofer has been a member of the Linz City Senate since 2016. She recently assured that she has clearly separated politics and entrepreneurship since the beginning of her time as a city councillor. And she must do so. After all, Section 2 of the Upper Austrian Municipal Remuneration Act (Paragraph 2) clearly stipulates that "members of the City Senate of Linz (...) may not pursue a profession with the intention of gainful employment during their term of office."

Carpenter instead of city councillor? Doris Lang-Mayerhofer at her company's stand at the furniture fair in Vienna. The picture was taken on March 16, 2018, a Friday.

(Bild: Zwefo)

Appearance at the "Wohnen und Interieur" trade fair in Vienna
However, the popular politician probably didn't see it quite so strictly. A look into the past shows that Doris Lang-Mayerhofer sold furniture at the Maylan stand at the "Wohnen und Interieur" trade fair in Vienna in March 2018. The city councillor offered interested customers pieces from her manufactory. A clear breach of the law because she was operating as an entrepreneur? Those familiar with the law would at least consider this extremely risky.

It is interesting to note that ÖVP Linz chairman Martin Hajart is only cautiously defending his city councillor in this affair. The reason for this is possibly based on an event that took place eight years ago. At that time, the issue in Linz was the succession of Susanne Wegscheider, who was making way for younger people as a city councillor.

Deputy Mayor Martin Hajart had to make way at the time
Martin Hajart was - you guessed it - the candidate that the then leader of the ÖVP in Linz, Bernhard Baier, wanted to bring into the team. Only: Hajart met the revenge of the women in the ÖVP. After the 2015 election, Doris Hummer, President of the Chamber of Commerce, was kicked out of the state government - which is why ÖVP senior Christoph Leitl did everything he could to position a young woman from the business world at the very top. That was Doris Lang-Mayerhofer in 2016, for whom Hajart had to make way