Bludenz mayor’s abuse-of-office conviction becomes final

Austria’s Supreme Court has rejected Bludenz Mayor Simon Tschann’s appeal against his conviction for abuse of office, leaving the guilty verdict in place, ORF reported. The Innsbruck Higher Regional Court will decide the sentence. Tschann says he will remain mayor.

The case concerns a building project on Fohrenburgstraße in Bludenz in 2021. Tschann was found to have granted a building permit without reviewing a critical opinion from an official expert.

In February, the Feldkirch Regional Court sentenced him to eight months’ suspended imprisonment and a fine of 300 daily rates of €200 each, totalling €60,000. Tschann appealed the verdict, while prosecutors appealed the sentence, arguing it was too lenient. The Supreme Court’s rejection of Tschann’s appeal makes the conviction final, but the sentence is still to be decided by the Innsbruck court.

This is the second trial in the case. The Supreme Court overturned an earlier Feldkirch Regional Court judgment from December 2024, which had imposed 11 months’ suspended imprisonment and a €51,000 fine. The case was then retried.

In a statement issued by the city, Tschann said he accepted the Supreme Court’s decision, although he said he did not fully understand it. He maintained that he had acted in good faith and in the city’s interest. He said the project had created housing and a pavement at a dangerous location, and that the Supreme Court ruling did not find he had personally benefited.

Tschann said the city administration would review its procedures and responsibilities and make improvements where needed. He said he would continue in office, citing support from the result of the mayoral and city council election in March 2025.