Austrian Social Democrat Steps Aside Amid Hunting Trip Controversy

Georg Dornauer faces backlash after posing with real estate tycoon René Benko during a hunting trip despite a weapons ban.

Georg Dornauer, deputy governor of Tyrol and a prominent figure in Austria's Social Democratic Party, announced he would 'step aside' from his political roles.
Dornauer's decision follows public outrage over a photo showing him with a hunted deer alongside René Benko, a controversial real estate investor.
Dornauer is under a weapons ban since 2019 after leaving a loaded rifle unattended in his car, raising legal and ethical questions about the hunting trip.
The incident exacerbates existing tensions within the Social Democratic Party, already struggling with internal conflicts and coalition negotiations.
Dornauer maintains no laws were broken during the trip and denies shooting the deer, despite appearing in the photo with traditional hunter's symbols.