Austria’s permanent representative to the EU has resigned from his post in Brussels after what the government in Vienna described as “allegations.”
Thomas Oberreiter handed in his resignation to Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger on Monday “for personal reasons,” a spokesperson for the Austrian government told POLITICO.
“After Federal Minister Meinl-Reisinger learned of the allegations on Saturday, the Foreign Ministry immediately reviewed the case,” the spokesperson said. “The ambassador requested his dismissal on Monday for personal reasons. This request was accepted by Federal Minister Meinl-Reisinger.”
The spokesperson said the acceptance of dismissal “should not be considered as confirmation of the allegations.”
His exit comes as a report by Der Standard in Austria named Oberreiter in connection with a sexually explicit blog. The report said Oberreiter denied that allegation and that he resigned to save Austria from further embarrassment. POLITICO has not verified the report.
“For reasons of data and privacy protection of the person concerned and their relatives, we cannot provide further details,” the government spokesperson said.
POLITICO has contacted a representative for Oberreiter for comment.
Oberreiter has worked in the Austrian foreign service for more than 30 years and served in several key positions, including as Cabinet chief under Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg from the conservative Austrian People’s Party.
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