Change of government

Carnival jesters storm the Bregenz state house

Christof Bitschi, Marco Tittler, Markus Wallner, Daniel Allgäuer, Christian Gantner, Barbara Schöbi-Fink, Martina Rüscher and Harald Sonderegger (from left).

(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

When the jesters take over the sceptre: Bregenz Carnival Prince Hannes I replaced Governor Markus Wallner on Shrove Tuesday, as is tradition, and briefly took over the reins of government.

Numerous Landhaus employees and residents of Bregenz flocked to the Landhaus on Shrove Tuesday to watch the traditional dismissal of the provincial government. However, those who were particularly excited about the costumes were disappointed this year. Not only Governor Markus Wallner and State Councillor for Economic Affairs Marco Tittler presented themselves somewhat unimaginatively, but also the two Freedom Party government members Christof Bitschi and Daniel Allgäuer, who had come as cowboys.

Beekeeper Gantner, sporty Rüscher
Christian Gantner, responsible for agriculture and the environment, had dressed up in a beekeeper's suit - in combination with his office staff, who buzzed around him as little bees, quite a successful appearance. The same applied to Barbara Schöbi-Fink and Martina Rüscher, whose outfits stood out better in the company of their similarly dressed employees than in the "family photo" of the state government. The sporty "Rüscher troupe" stood out with their neon-colored caps and accessories. "Barbara's Band" members, on the other hand, were dressed in black with red hats and carried inflatable guitars and saxophones.

Captain and crew of stewardesses
The costumes of flight captain Harald Sonderegger and co-pilot Borghild Goldgruber-Reiner looked the most harmonious. The president and director of the state parliament were flanked by four stewardesses, who had a trolley with drinks and snacks. While the members of parliament from the Greens and the SPÖ were absent from the party in the Landhaus, the Neos held up the flags of the opposition.