Innsbruck municipal council

“Threshold of what is tolerable has long been crossed”

The Innsbruck municipal council (archive photo).

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

With the new city government, things have been relatively calm in Innsbruck's municipal council for a long time. However, there is a so-called "aftermath" from the last municipal council meeting. The public prosecutor's office is busy. Not only in the matter of the "Amras building ban", but now also on suspicion of "incitement of the people".

The last Innsbruck municipal councillor is still causing a stir, more precisely in the person of GR Fabian Walch (FPÖ).

Walch used the term "population exchange" in connection with the new housing allocation guidelines. Deputy Mayor Elli Mayr (SPÖ) responded: "Councillor Walch, I would like to point out to you that the term 'population exchange' is indeed a very problematic one and that we want to be respectful in our language when we talk about the population living in Innsbruck."

But Walch didn't want to know anything about that and replied that he chose his words very carefully.

Councillor Walch, I would like to point out to you that the term 'population exchange' is indeed a very problematic one and that we want to be respectful in our language when we speak of the population living in Innsbruck.

Vizebürgermeisterin Elli Mayr (SPÖ)

Bild: Christof Birbaumer

Video circulating on the net
However, the choice of words did not go unanswered, as a music video is now circulating on social media, such as on the Instagram channel of "Tiroler Krawallmusik", in which Walch is ridiculed: "There is no room for fascists here, please exchange yourself and make room for good people. Fabian Walch is a bit of a thing and babbles stupid phrases," it says.

Excitement about the current "Innsbruck informs"
Another point is causing a stir: Walch writes in the current "Innsbruck informiert": "Those who can't speak German have no place in our schools and those who don't want to learn it should fly home!" Some local councillors were outraged by this statement. However, they also brought up the fact that it is precisely the FPÖ that does not vote on proposals to promote language courses.

This arrogance, this arrogance! You are denying children the opportunity to learn this language.

Stadträtin Janine Bex (Grüne)

Bild: Birbaumer Christof

StR Janine Bex (Greens): "This arrogance, this arrogance! You are denying children the opportunity to learn this language. You with your voice. This is a slap in the face for all organizations that fight for better integration on a daily basis. It also shows that you have no interest in integrating people into our society, but are instead pursuing division and agitation!"

Criticism also from Liste Fritz
Andrea Haselwanter-Schneider (Liste Fritz) agrees: "I was sitting on the education committee and when I saw these offers (to learn the language before starting school), I thought that they made a lot of sense. The FPÖ colleague reads the headline and immediately says that the FPÖ is voting against it. You don't like it when we take integration measures, and you don't like it when we do nothing. Your solutions are not compatible with national and international law."

When asked by the "Krone", Walch certainly stands behind his vote: "As long as there is no master plan from the city to stem the rampant migration of people, we see no need to invest in integration measures, as it is a bottomless pit."

The specific accusation is a deliberate and widely publicized violation of human dignity and degradation of children with a non-German mother tongue.

Aus der Sachverhaltsdarstellung

Public prosecutor's office involved
The matter is not over yet. GR Mesut Onay (Ali) addressed Walch: "You vote against German courses, women's promotion and integration measures in the municipal council, but consistently in favor of speculative housing construction." He also refers to "Innsbruck informiert" and says: "The threshold of what is tolerable has long since been crossed."

In the meantime, Ali has submitted a statement of facts to the public prosecutor's office on suspicion of incitement to hatred against Walch. "The specific accusation is a deliberate and widely publicized violation of human dignity and disparagement of children of non-German mother tongue," it says.

KPÖ criticizes Telfer deputy mayor
Meanwhile, the KPÖ is following up on the statement of facts to the public prosecutor's office regarding the building ban in Amras. The lawyer responsible was the Deputy Mayor of Telf, Johannes Augustin (Neos): "Johannes Augustin wrote the threatening letter against the members of the municipal council on behalf of the law firm AWZ. As deputy mayor of Telfs, he should have more respect for democracy. This kind of behavior is highly problematic," says Pia Tomedi (KPÖ).