Questionable contribution

Corona aid from the state for Deripaska hotel

The Hotel Aurelio in Lech

(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

During the coronavirus pandemic, the state of Vorarlberg apparently subsidized the Hotel Aurelio, then owned by the controversial Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, with hospitality and tourism funds. According to research by ORF Vorarlberg, around 37,000 euros went to the hotel in Lech am Arlberg.

In June 2020, the state announced that it would provide 15 million euros to help the industry, which was suffering from the pandemic. The hotel of the oligarch, who was placed on the EU's sanctions list following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, also received money via this channel. As the funding was based on turnover, the amount for the hotel, which has since changed hands, indicates a turnover of 610,918 euros between March and May 2019. Incidentally, businesses could receive a maximum of 50,000 euros.

The state stated that it could neither confirm nor deny that the company was an applicant for funding. However, it was noted that the state "is bound by the principle of objectivity derived from the principle of equality". In other words: If a company fulfills the applicable funding guidelines, then the subsidy will be granted. 

Criticism from the Neos
The state of Vorarlberg has so far refused to disclose the names of the recipients of the corona funding, only an anonymized payment list has been published. Much to the annoyance of the Neos, who have been demanding disclosure for years: "Taxpayers' money is not at the disposal of the ÖVP. It must be used cleanly and transparently," says regional chairwoman Claudia Gamon.