Thursday, 09. February 2012

:: Home > General News > SP Burgenland rejects criticism of referendum plans

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
30	31	1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	1	2	3	4

Add your event FREE

Today

Polls

30. 12. 09. - 16:00

SP� Burgenland rejects criticism of referendum plans

By Thomas Hochwarter

Burgenland Social Democrats (SP�) have dismissed criticism of a planned referendum over the construction of a new asylum seekers� centre.

Provincial party manager Robert Hergovich said today (Weds): "Postponing the referendum would be an undemocratic act and an insult to the Burgenland people."

The governing Burgenland SP� was attacked by the province�s Greens yesterday after SP� governor Hans Niessl announced the citizens of the southern districts of Jennersdorf, G�ssing and Oberwart would be questioned on federal Interior Ministry plans to build an asylum seekers� centre in Eberau, a town of 1,000 close to the Hungarian border.

All parties represented in the Burgenland parliament except the Greens � the governing SP� and People�s Party (�VP) as well as right-wing opposition Freedom Party (FP�) � oppose the project which was presented by �VP Interior Minister Maria Fekter recently.

Niessl criticised Fekter for not keeping him or federal coalition partners SP� informed, while Burgenland Greens chief Grete Krojer accused the governor of "stirring up" people over the issue.

SP� Burgenland manager Hergovich said today the provincial government would regard the referendum�s result as "compulsive".

Niessl said last week the referendum would be held in March if the provincial government agreed on the date in its first meeting next month. This would mean the referendum would take place just weeks before an expected date for a provincial election in which the SP� Burgenland has to defend its majority.

Interior Minister Fekter stressed she would "certainly not back down" on the issue. Fekter can be sure of the support of Lower Austria�s �VP governor Erwin Pr�ll who appealed to the Burgenland government to agree to the plans of a new centre.

Pr�ll said the asylum seekers� centre in Traiskirchen, Lower Austria, needed support.

"Lower Austria cannot be Austria�s pack donkey any longer (in this issue) after 53 years," he said.

Burgenland�s Greens suggested all nine Austrian provinces could take up an equal number of asylum seekers. They have also appealed to rival parties to avoid the issue in the upcoming election campaign.

SP� Burgenland manager Hergovich meanwhile criticised the FP� Burgenland for announcing a demonstration in Eberau.

"No problem will be solved this way. This will only mean more people will be unsettled," he said.

Hergovich said Burgenland needed no "hate preachers" such as FP� federal chief Heinz-Christian Strache.

Eberau�s �VP Mayor Walter Strobl meanwhile revealed some residents of the town refused to shake his hand after plans for the centre were revealed.

Strobl argued he wanted to stop the town "dying out" with the project.

"Everyone leaves after graduating," he explained, adding that the construction of the centre would give the region�s weak economy a boost.

Strobl said around 130 new jobs would be created by the asylum seekers� centre which would be the third in Austria after one in Thalham, Upper Austria, and a larger centre in Traiskirchen, Lower Austria.

�VP Interior Minister Maria Fekter argued construction of the centre in Eberau would make the region safer instead of more insecure as critics of the project have claimed.

Fekter said Eberau would get its own police station while other security measures would be upped as well in G�ssing district.

The project is however currently on hold after G�ssing authorities rejected the ministry�s construction application for the centre. Officials claimed it did not match the area zoning plan of the site in Eberau.

And it emerged today that the centre might eventually be built in the southern province of Carinthia and not in eastern Burgenland.

Josef Leitner, deputy leader of the SP� in Lower Austria, told the Kurier newspaper: "Austria pays to ensure Carinthia is rescued and expects Carinthia to take responsibility in the asylum seekers� issue."

Leitner was referring to the recent nationalisation of the Hypo Group Alpe Adria (HGAA) bank as well as to news that the southern province was financially struggling after years of mismanagement.

Austrian Times

Write your comment to this article here

Tag cloud:
ssing government Carinthia criticism Austria Eberau Hergovich Burgenland construction governor Leitner Greens Fekter southern Ministry asylum Strobl referendum Niessl seekers

Latest News

Foglar infuriated by 'tactical games'
Austrian Trade Union (�GB) President Erich Foglar has accused the vice chancellor of "playing games".

Le Carr� novel hits the big screen
A new espionage film is now on at the Burgkino Vienna where all movies are screened in their original versions.

Kadyrov welcomes Austrian right-wingers
A delegation of representatives of a rightist Austrian party met with Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, it has emerged.

Gourmet evenings at Linsberg Asia
Less than an hour away from Vienna is the Linsberg Asia - four star hotel, spa and culinary hotspot. For several years now the Linsberg restaurant has been producing award-winning food, receiving the ultimate accolade in the most recent Gault Millau when its lamb was described simply as melt in the mouth.

Felderer 'disappointed' as government eyes up tax hikes
A leading economist has criticised the government for making tax hikes an essential part of its upcoming savings package.

Unionists criticise hotels over mini-jobbers
Labour union leaders are alarmed as the number of tourism sector mini-jobbers is climbing.

Satek snatches Zielpunkt
A German businessman has taken over Zielpunkt.

Europe's highest brewery in Austria
Europe�s highest brewery has opened in Austria. The "Asitz Br�u" which opened for business on 17 December last year, is located at 1,760 metres and is run by the Altenberger family, owners of four star hotel "Der Krallerhof" in Leogang.

Austria registers decrease of business bankruptcies
The number of Austrian business bankruptcies is in decline despite increasingly difficult economic circumstances in Europe.