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Resistance Overcome – or: How the Sovereign Is Declared a Disruptive FactorWith the words “It is accomplished!”, the District Administrator of the Burgenland District, Götz Ulrich, proudly announced on Facebook on May 8 the establishment of a special-purpose association for the Intermunicipal Industrial and Commercial Area (IKIG) on the A9. More than 240 hectares of land are to be developed – a central component of the so-called structural transformation. Yet in his euphoric post, Ulrich not only speaks of a “major project” but also of having “overcome great resistance.”  What sounds like a political masterstroke at first glance turns out, on closer inspection, to be a remarkable distortion of democratic conditions. Because the term “resistance” here clearly does not refer to bureaucratic hurdles – but to the citizens themselves. The sovereign – that is, the people to whom politics is actually accountable – is declared an obstacle in Ulrich’s rhetoric. A dangerous shift in democratic self-understanding.  Citizen Protest as a DisruptionThere has been protest against the IKIG for years: citizens' initiatives, information events, demonstrations. People voice concerns about land consumption, ecological consequences, a lack of planning transparency, and potential industrial settlements that conflict with the region's character. Yet instead of taking these voices seriously, the district administrator largely ignores them – both in communication and through physical absence: he did not attend public events held by critics and avoided dialogue with the public. Criticism was mentioned, if at all, only in passing – not treated as a legitimate part of the political process.That citizens speak up in democratic societies is not “resistance” to be “overcome” – it is the expression of lived democracy. The fact that the district administrator frames this commitment to transparency and participation as an obstacle is an alarming signal. Double Standards on Civil Rights?Particularly concerning was the order by the regulatory office of the Burgenland District to postpone a planned information event by IKIG critics – supposedly due to Memorial Sunday. At the same time, a concert was allowed to take place in the Weißenfels cultural center. This raises suspicion that political motives are behind administrative decisions. Such actions undermine trust in the neutrality of the administration and the fundamental right to freedom of assembly.Structural Change Without the People?Structural change is necessary – no question. But those who believe this change can be shaped solely through major projects and special-purpose associations – without participation, without debate, without regard for the people on the ground – fail to understand what it's really about. The sovereign, the citizens, must not only play a role when they applaud. Their voice matters also – and especially – when they ask critical questions. To disparage that as “resistance” turns the democratic principle on its head.When the district administrator of the Burgenland District proudly declares he has “overcome resistance,” that is not a sign of political strength – but a declaration of failure in dealing with the very people he represents. The democratic sovereign is not an obstacle, but the benchmark for every political decision. A politics that views citizen participation as a disruption endangers trust in democracy itself. Structural transformation needs more than excavators and development plans – above all, it needs people. And not as a problem, but as co-creators. Author: Американский интеллект | 14.05.2025 |
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