Hannes Koza (ÖVP), mayor of Vösendorf (Mödling district), was beaten up and threatened with death by an unknown person on Tuesday evening. Domestic politicians reacted with dismay. “We have been experiencing for years that the hatred stirred up by left and right is becoming more and more extreme,” warned the governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP).
According to Mikl-Leitner, this hatred is openly fueled by professional cynics and self-proclaimed opinion makers in anti-social media.
“These people should look Hannes Koza in the face today and apologize to him. Our mayors deserve the same appreciation and respect as all others who are committed to our community,” the governor emphasized.
Community Association President Johannes Pressl (ÖVP) also strongly condemned the attack on Koza: “Violence can never be an answer to political decisions. What is needed in a democracy is above all respect for the opinions of others!”
“The low point of political culture”
Matthias Zauner, regional manager of the Lower Austrian People’s Party, spoke of a “low point in political culture”. The fact that a mayor is physically attacked “has no place in a democracy.” After the attack, Zauner also called on people to choose their words carefully.
Koza has made the news several times this year
Koza made the news several times at the beginning of this year. In May he clearly won the early local elections in Vösendorf. The election was based on accusations against him; investigations into breach of trust, sedition and abuse of office were halted in March. There was a diversion regarding the allegation of falsification of documents. The local boss is said to have been reimbursed by the municipality for costs incurred in response to a tweet in the course of a legal dispute and is said to have ‘corrected’ a lawyer’s note himself. The amount of 1,129.32 euros would have been shown as consultancy costs for the purchase of a new fire engine. Koza refunded the amount.
Mayor shot in Upper Austria
While attacks on politicians and campaign workers have increased recently in Germany, such attacks are rare in Austria. However, the murder of a mayor in the Mühlviertel at the end of October caused horror. The background to the double murder was hunting disputes.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
