Border dispute causes a stir

The wrong game with the Constitutional Court

Mayor Hoffmann is puzzled by the interpretation of Austrian legislation in Hungary. The bollards and the pedestrian zone can stay.

(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

Hungary's politicians, lawyers and media sometimes have a different view of things. The dispute over the roadblock in Schattendorf is already triumphant on the other side of the border.

The debate about the bollards erected by the municipality of Schattendorf and a specially decreed pedestrian zone at the border is becoming increasingly bizarre. The media in the neighboring country to the east are presenting a false picture. "According to the Burgenland court, the border between Ágfalva and Somfalva should not have been closed to Hungarian commuters. Now the Austrian Constitutional Court has been asked to repeal the Schattendorf ordinance," it is claimed. "The administrative court considers the detour to be unlawful," according to a news service.

Appeal dismissed
"Not true," is the message from Austria. So far, the judiciary has not seen any wrongdoing in the municipality's approach. As reported, a Hungarian law firm had applied for a special permit to enter the pedestrian zone - and was denied. The appeal was dismissed as unfounded by a higher authority and the contested decision was confirmed.

Zone is in the municipal area
One of the points made in the explanatory memorandum was that the prescribed pedestrian zone lies entirely within the municipal area, namely "in a highly sensitive traffic area with a care center, senior citizens' residence, cemetery, church, kindergarten, Warmbad, extension for the crèche, elementary school and secondary school", as is noted.

(Bild: P. Huber)

According to a letter from the provincial administrative court to the Constitutional Court in Vienna, serious accidents have already occurred due to speeding towards the border crossing. The pedestrian zone established in accordance with § 94d Z. 8 StVO is only effective for an area in Schattendorf, which means that the municipality is responsible for this regulation, it continues.

Against commuter transit route
Mayor Thomas Hoffmann sees the Austrian court's statements as confirmation. He is strictly against a commuter transit route. He has no objections to "normal" border traffic between Schattendorf and Agendorf: "In the spirit of a Europe that is growing together, we want to maintain good neighborly relations. Free passage should be granted to those who have a significant economic interest or family reasons, for example."