Austria’s President apologises after being caught by police in restaurant after curfew

The President of Austria has apologized after he and his wife were caught by police in a restaurant after a curfew in place to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Alexander Van der Bellen and his wife along with two friends were found in an open-air restaurant in Vienna just after midnight on Saturday night when police entered to conduct a spot check. In Austria, bars and restaurants are currently only permitted to stay open until 11 p.m., with owners facing fines of up to €30,000 ($32,700) if they break the rules.

“I am very sorry,” Van der Bellen wrote on Twitter. “It was a mistake.” He told local media that he had been talking and didn’t notice the time. His party still had drinks on their table when the police entered, but the restaurant was officially closed.

DW

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