VIENNA (Reuters) -Austria’s ambassador to the European Union has stepped down, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday, after reports he published an anonymous, sexually explicit blog for years. Thomas Oberreiter, 59, had been permanent representative to the European Union in Brussels since 2023. He did not respond to requests for comment. When Foreign Minister Beate […]
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Austrian ambassador to EU quits after reports he kept sexually explicit blog
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VIENNA (Reuters) -Austria’s ambassador to the European Union has stepped down, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday, after reports he published an anonymous, sexually explicit blog for years.
Thomas Oberreiter, 59, had been permanent representative to the European Union in Brussels since 2023. He did not respond to requests for comment.
When Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger became aware of the allegations on Saturday, the matter was thoroughly reviewed, the foreign ministry said, without describing the allegations.
“On Monday, the ambassador requested that he be dismissed for personal reasons. Minister Meinl-Reisinger accepted the request,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said it could not provide further details for reasons including data protection, and that its statement should not be taken as confirmation of the unspecified allegations.
Reports in Austrian media including Der Standard newspaper identified Oberreiter as the author of the blog, which included graphic accounts mixing fantasy scenes with real-life photos and appears to have been publishing by 2015. Der Standard said Oberreiter disputes what it called “the alleged allegations”.
(Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Daniel Wallis)