The regional court in Wels has found Blue Deputy Mayor Christa Ragg-Mühlberger guilty of alleged falsehood. But the 51-year-old wants to be called up.
It was an April 2021 interview in the regional edition of a daily newspaper in which Wels Deputy Mayor Christa Raggl-Mühlberger (FPÖ) recalled the “brown spots” conflicts of the 1990s. One of these Nazi-related patches referred to NSDAP district training manager Moritz Etzold, after whom the gym of the ÖTB association is named.
alleged folder
Raggl-Mühlberger, whose father was a civil servant at the Wels Gymnastics Club, explained in the interview: “At the time, the Socialist Youth seriously demanded that my family disappear from the city.” This was published in a folder.
Offer declined
A claim that provoked fierce opposition. “That never happened, a gross slander,” explains Robert Eiter, spokesperson for the network against right-wing extremism, which was active for the SJ Wels in the 90s. “It was clear to us that we would not swallow our reputation. We have always rejected undemocratic and inhumane methods!” said Eva Reiter, the current SJ chairman. The FPÖ politician turned down the offer to withdraw her claim and a lawsuit was filed.
Party pays upon conviction
However, because Raggl-Mühlberger was unable to provide a leaflet, a judge in the regional court in Wels ruled that the 51-year-old’s claim was untrue. Verdict: You have to pay for a revocation in the newspaper and the legal costs incurred (about 20,000 euros). “We’re going to the next instance,” emphasizes Raggl-Mühlberger. If that also fails, the FPÖ will pay for the process.
“Krone” Commentary: Politicians and Falsehoods
Unfortunately, politicians spread untruths time and again. This is often only recognized by the public with a resigned shrug. Only very rarely does such misbehavior have consequences.
The fact that mandate holders and officials are responsible for false statements and have to apologize is very rare. This is the main reason for the mistrust that politicians often appear to have. If, in the case of Raggl-Mühlberger (whom, of course, the presumption of innocence applies) the next court also confirms the first judgment, then that would be a special case.
Source: Krone
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