Headline: Bludenz Mayor Simon Tschann Convicted for Abuse of Office; Opposition Calls for Resignation
Meta Description: Bludenz Mayor Simon Tschann (ÖVP) sentenced to conditional prison and fine for misconduct in a 2021 approval process. Opposition parties demand his resignation.
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Bludenz Mayor Simon Tschann (ÖVP) has been found guilty of abuse of office and sentenced to eleven months of imprisonment, suspended, and a fine of 51,000 euros. The conviction stems from a 2021 case where Tschann, as the head of the building authority, approved a residential complex despite insufficient prerequisites, knowing the project should not have been approved. The verdict is not yet final.
Following the ruling on Wednesday evening, opposition parties in the Vorarlberg state parliament called for Tschann’s immediate resignation. The 32-year-old mayor, however, announced he would remain in office and run again in the March communal elections. Tschann expressed his surprise at the verdict, maintaining his innocence, and announced that his defense team had filed a non-appeal motion and an appeal.
While ÖVP Landtag club chair Veronika Marte encouraged Tschann to stay in office until the appeal process is resolved, the opposition held differing views. Daniel Zadra, spokesperson for the Greens in Vorarlberg, stated that a mayor convicted of abuse of office should resign and cannot be a candidate in the upcoming elections. Claudia Gamon, land spokesperson for NEOS, also demanded Tschann’s immediate resignation, emphasizing the importance of public trust in political figures adhering to the law.
Reinhold Einwallner, an SPÖ member of the state parliament, echoed these sentiments, asserting that a mayor who has abused the trust of citizens should no longer hold public office. He further criticized the ÖVP for what he perceived as a widespread and shameless culture of corruption.
The ruling has sparked a debate about the integrity of the ÖVP and theparty’s handling of similar cases. SPÖ Landesvorsitzender Mario Leiter, who is Tschann’s boss as Bludenz’s city police commissioner, has not yet commented on the matter.
