Citizens' initiative against maternity ward relocation in Vorarlberg clearly reaches quorum

Starting situation: Planned relocation to Bregenz

The background to the citizens' initiative is the planned hospital reform of the Vorarlberg state government, which provides for the relocation of the departments of obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics from Dornbirn Hospital to Bregenz. This announcement had been made in the autumn and had caused outrage in the region. Both nursing and medical staff as well as the city of Dornbirn had expressed concerns about the relocation. An initial citizens' initiative "Yes to Preservation" had already launched a petition that, according to the initiators, was signed by more than 57,000 people.

The formal path to the citizens' initiative was not straightforward: An initial application to conduct a citizens' initiative had been rejected in mid-January due to the wording of the question. Those responsible then revised the application; the regional electoral authority approved a new application in early March. The entry period began on 15 April. The result is now available.

Legal consequences for the state government

Legal consequences are tied to the success: According to the Vorarlberg State Referendum Act, the regional electoral authority must submit the citizens' initiative to the state government within one week. The state government must address the matter in accordance with the constitution within three months. Before a decision is made, the applicants must be invited to an oral hearing.

In terms of content, the citizens' initiative demands that the departments of obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics remain at the Dornbirn site. The state government had justified its relocation plans with the reform of the hospital landscape. However, the initiators see this as a weakening of local care in the Rhine Valley.

Reactions and next steps

The mobilization of the population accompanied the process for months. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Landhaus in Bregenz to demonstrate against the relocation. The signature campaign itself also exceeded expectations: The 5,000 required declarations of support were ultimately met with 17,605 – more than three times the amount.

The Vorarlberg state government, however, is sticking to its plan to relocate the departments from Dornbirn to Bregenz. The authority is now constitutionally obligated to deal with the initiative. How the substantive handling will turn out remains to be seen. In the run-up, the state government and the regional electoral authority had emphasized in a joint statement that the formal success of a citizens' initiative does not automatically mean a change in government plans.

The initiators announced a press conference for Tuesday to present their next steps. Among other things, a "tailwind demo" is planned. This is intended to further increase public pressure on decision-makers, even after the quorum has been clearly exceeded.

Overall, the outcome underscores the mobilization capacity of civil society in Vorarlberg: More than one in fifteen eligible voters signed the lists during the entry week. This means the issue has gained political weight for the state parliament beyond the immediate hospital debate.