Property deal with billionaire Dispute in village escalates - local council meets under police protection

In Breitenfurt, Lower Austria, a dispute over a building project has escalated completely. Local councillors stayed away from the meeting out of fear and the police arrived at the alternative date.

Insults against the mayor, fisticuffs with the head of the council: in the tranquil municipality of Breitenfurt near the Austrian capital of Vienna, a dispute is currently underway that is otherwise rather rare in rural communities.

The conflict in the Vienna suburbs over a property deal with a billionaire has recently escalated to such an extent that the police had to ensure the proper conduct of the municipal council meeting.

The meeting was not held in the community center as usual, but in the multi-purpose hall of the village of 7,000 inhabitants due to the large number of people in attendance, as reported by the Austrian daily newspaper "Der Standard". According to the report, Mayor Wolfgang Schredl hired a special security service and asked the police for help.

The meeting was supposed to have taken place at the end of September, at the same time as a demonstration organized by the citizens' initiative. However, several councillors preferred to stay at home - for fear of being attacked. There had previously been threats, according to reports.

Direct mail from the mayor

This meant that the council was not quorate and the meeting ultimately had to be postponed. However, the situation is said to have escalated that same evening. The mayor reported verbal abuse and that he had also been filmed. According to his own account, he expelled an onlooker from the room, who was then escorted out by the head of the office, and violence broke out.

The background to the conflict is quickly explained: a medical center and more than 800 apartments are to be built on a large green meadow in the middle of the village. The resident doctor insists on the new location and is threatening to leave the community if he doesn't. At least he has the local council on his side. At least he has the mayor on his side. According to the report, the two have also jointly emphasized their plan with direct mailings.

However, there is considerable resistance to the project in the village. Among other things, there are concerns about the increasing risk of flooding due to the sealing of the area, and there are also fears of a significant increase in traffic. The community in the greater Vienna area already has a correspondingly large burden due to commuter traffic.

Barriers in front of the public

However, the construction of 800 apartments is particularly controversial. The municipal leadership, made up of conservatives and social democrats, argues that the company Breiteneder GmbH, led by billionaire Bettina Breiteneder, could demand permission to build on the site at any time anyway and would be vindicated. The idea was therefore to turn it into an advantage for the municipality and build a new primary care center there. The billionaire's real estate company has agreed to do this.

But only if the apartments are also built in a second phase. The municipality is therefore in talks with Breiteneder, which is causing outrage. The population is not involved in the decision and is not being adequately informed.

The extent of the anger was demonstrated at the catch-up meeting on Monday. The mayor's comments were often accompanied by malicious laughter and heckling. Anyone who wanted to take part was first searched by security guards. A barrier was also installed between the councillors and the audience and police officers waited outside the hall.

After all, a referendum is now to take place. The exact wording is to be determined at a meeting on October 21, probably again with a police presence, according to reports.