An Austrian government agency suddenly pull two sky-high piece of real estate — majestic peaks contribution stupendous alpine views — off the open market Tuesday after an expression of national outrage over the supposed sellout of the nation's heritage.
BIG, the agency which purchase state material goods and then resells it to the private sector, announce the decision after planning among Economics Minister Reinhold Mitterlehner and top officials in charge of the agency.
"We have suspended the sale to assess alternative possibilities," agency spokesman Ernst Eichinger said on the telephone. He said the transaction would possible go ahead but buyers would be restricted to "Austrian institutions" instead of the maximum free-market bidders. The peaks are in the easternmost part of Tyrol province, home to a few of Europe's highest mountain ranges.
