The association “Bodenfreiheit” has placed the advertising volumes in the Wirtschaftsbund-Hausblatt “Vorarlberger Wirtschaft” in the context of planned business expansions. In the process, two flagship companies – hard packaging specialist ALPLA and fruit juice maker Rauch – revealed some unusual anomalies that were certainly worth questioning: Because just as companies were making decisions about redeployments needed for business expansions, volume of advertisements in the “Economy of Vorarlberg” skyrocketed. A process that – completely neutrally – raises the question: did the companies want to create a good atmosphere for their concerns with advertisements in the Wirtschaftsbund-Hausblatt?
Coupled with the affidavit of an entrepreneur from Vorarlberg, according to which Governor Markus Wallner promised political concessions during a visit to the company for ad placement, this process becomes even more explosive. To put it again in one question: can one buy political decisions through advertisements in the “Vorarlberg economy”?
companies deny
Confronted by Ö1 with the evaluation of the association “Bodenfreiheit”, both Rauch and ALPLA denied that there was a connection between the accumulation of advertisements around the year 2019 and the company expansions planned at the time – Rauch wanted to build in Ludesch (the project was destroyed by referendum ), ALPLA in Fussach – there. It was almost congruently said that both companies were just “location PR”. Karlheinz Rüdisser, then economic councilor and now interim president of the Economic Association, relegated the link between advertisements and commissions to fables. Governor Wallner, for his part, had repeatedly described the anonymous accusations as “blatant lies.”
But that does not mean that the cause is off the table: as is known, the prosecutor’s office for economic and corruption cases is investigating Wallner, Rüdisser and the current economic deputy Marco Tittler (all ÖVP). In addition, the VP Corruption Investigation Commission is engaged in the “Vorarlberg advertising affair”. Wallner and Co must testify in Vienna at the beginning of June. Also invited was Jürgen Rauch, not only the head of the family business, but also the financial officer of the Wirtschaftsbund. It must be an uncomfortable event for everyone.
Source: Krone
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