Garden gnomes are mischievous creatures. But when 400 of the pint-sized, elf-like men were enlisted to endorse the Austrian Social Democratic party in an upcoming election and then suddenly walked off the job, party leader Michael Ritsch cried sabotage. Ritsch blamed the arch-rival of the Social Democrats, the Austrian People's Party. Despite their center-right platform emphasizing respect for tradition and social order, Ritsch accuses his political opponents of kidnapping the jolly gnomes.
But are gnomes the most trustworthy colleagues? The group of gnomes in question were attached to lamp posts. Perhaps that was more than they bargained for when they abandoned the relative comfort of the garden to enter the dirty world of politics.
The caper started because the Social Democrats were banking on Austrian voters' fervor for garden gnomes. The idea was for the gnomes to serve as mascots and perhaps use their magical powers to sway the electorate towards more socialist policies. Towards this end, the Social Democratic Party spent over $600,000 of taxpayer funds allotted for elections on the purchase of 20,000 little gnomes who go by the code name, "Coolmen."
This fact may be more disturbing than their mysterious disappearance.
Gnomes disappear in Austria and it's causing a political scandal
But are gnomes the most trustworthy colleagues? The group of gnomes in question were attached to lamp posts. Perhaps that was more than they bargained for when they abandoned the relative comfort of the garden to enter the dirty world of politics.
The caper started because the Social Democrats were banking on Austrian voters' fervor for garden gnomes. The idea was for the gnomes to serve as mascots and perhaps use their magical powers to sway the electorate towards more socialist policies. Towards this end, the Social Democratic Party spent over $600,000 of taxpayer funds allotted for elections on the purchase of 20,000 little gnomes who go by the code name, "Coolmen."
This fact may be more disturbing than their mysterious disappearance.
Gnomes disappear in Austria and it's causing a political scandal
