The special lawsuit surrounding the pedestrian zone and the bollards against too much border traffic in Schattendorf in Burgenland produces bizarre results. After a series of lawsuits from Hungary, the file in Austria is now before the State Administrative Court and the Constitutional Court.
The German-Austrian-Hungarian law firm NZP Nagy Legal filed the case. In July 2023, her boss was annoyed because he was denied the direct, shorter route via Schattendorf during a business trip.
Problems in a roundabout way
Because of the posts placed by the municipality, he had to take a detour via Klingenbach. The law firm filed a lawsuit and initially demanded 11.50 euros for the additional costs. That seemed too much to the judiciary and the disputed amount was reduced to 27 cents. The law firm still has not received the case.
Austria has filed a lawsuit
Last fall, NZP Nagy Legal sued the Republic of Austria for “unnecessary” border controls. The Hungarian law firm suspected a violation of the Schengen agreement – this time 19 cents was charged for a detour due to a traffic jam at the border. And once again the office came away empty-handed.
Appeal rejected
After the Eisenstadt Regional Court and the Vienna Higher Regional Court confirmed the municipality’s approach, NZP Nagy Legal took administrative legal action against the pedestrian zone in Schattendorf, which was established to calm traffic at the border with Hungary. The law firm had applied to the municipality for an exemption for the use of the pedestrian area, but this was rejected. The Hungarian lawyer’s appeal was declared unfounded by higher authorities.
The law firm is contesting the negative decision at the administrative court. “The municipality’s regulation is based on the report of a sworn expert who, according to the Hungarian lawyers, is not competent,” it says.
“Everything is fine”
Schattendorf’s lawyer Johannes Zink sees little chance of success: “Given the fact that all attempts to prevent the pedestrian zone have failed miserably, we look forward with tranquility to further legal remedies.”
This also applies to the review by the Constitutional Court, initiated by the State Administrative Court, to determine whether the municipality’s actions were correct. Mayor Thomas Hoffmann is positive: “We don’t need a diktat from Budapest. Our community decides for itself what is best for the population – and always does so decently.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
