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Krauss ‘not a role model for students’

The nomination of 21-year-old law student Maximilian Krauss to the post of Deputy President of Vienna's City School Board by the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) has drawn heavy criticism from other parties.

Published: 23 July 2014 14:50 CEST
Krauss 'not a role model for students'
FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache said the appointment was "a signal of renewal". Photo: APA/Schneider

Human rights pressure group, SOS Mitmensch, is urging Vienna Mayor, Michael Häupl (SPÖ), not to allow the replacement to go ahead.

"On the basis of his statements, Krauss is certainly not a role model for students," said Alexander Pollak, spokesman for SOS Mitmensch.

The 21-year-old has openly used "anti-Turk hate speech". He has spoken about the need to separate non-German-speaking children and has said that "foreigners with Turkish blood" should be sent back home.

"We call on Mayor Michael Häupl to reject the appointment of Maximilian Krauss and insist on a qualified candidate," said Pollak.

The Social Democrats (SPÖ) considers the decision a "denigration of the office".

The President of the Vienna School Board, Susanne Brandsteidl (SPÖ), stressed in a press release however that above all, the Vice President had no authority to act. According to the Federal School Inspection Act, he has "only the right to inspect and advise".

She also pointed out that the nomination must still follow a formal order by Michael Häupl.

Brandsteidl added that: "In the Office of the Vice President no incitement to hatred and xenophobia would be tolerated."

SPÖ council deputies Tanja Wehsely and Jürgen Czernohorzky branded the appointment of Krauss "pure mockery and denigration of the office" in a press release.

"Krauss has already disqualified himself from the office prior to his nomination by his discrimination against students from immigrant backgrounds."

Club chairman of the Vienna Greens, David Ellensohn, criticized not only Krauss's membership of the Burschenschaft (a far-right student fraternity) and his "unsavoury and unqualified expressions", but also the system of proportional representation in the school system, which allows the nomination of the City School Board President to be made on the strength of party numbers.

"Proportional distribution in ministries which are so important for the future into black and red spheres of influence must become a thing of the past," said Ellensohn.

"With the nomination of Krauss, the FPÖ has permanently disqualified itself from the area of education," said Martina Wurzer, Education Spokeswoman for the Viennese Greens, in a press release.

"Krauss has only attracted attention by his crude demands," she said, calling for the FPÖ to withdraw their decision.

State party chairman of the Viennese branch of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), Manfred Juraczka, sees the nomination of Krauss as a "not very positive sign".

Since the beginning of his political career, the law student has used "his power to ostracise and fear-monger," said Juraczka.

The Secretary-General of the FPÖ, Herbert Kickl, on the other hand, defended the decision in a press release, calling the criticism a "knee-jerk biting attack from the united left hunting party".

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MIGRANT CRISIS

How a change in the profile of asylum seekers is impacting Austria

The number of asylum applications has dropped in Austria, but changes in the profile of those arriving are creating new demands and new policies.

Published: 22 April 2024 16:05 CEST
How a change in the profile of asylum seekers is impacting Austria

Asylum policy is a controversial topic in Austria, especially in an election year. The far-right has been pushing its anti-immigration agenda to gather support ahead of federal elections later this year.

While the sheer number of refugees can shape an election, differences in who those refugees are and where they come from also create challenges and demands for government action.

The profile of those seeking asylum in Austria has changed compared to recent years.

In the first quarter of 2024, almost a third of asylum applications came from children between the ages of zero and seven, as Austrian media has reported.

Around 53 percent of applicants are minors, and the proportion of women seeking asylum has also risen significantly. However, the overall number of asylum applications during the period fell by 32 percent compared to the same period the year before. 

Whereas 2023 most asylum applications in Austria were from males (only around 24 percent of applications were submitted by women), the country is now experiencing the “family reunification” phenomenon. In other words the wifes and children are following to seek protection.

Asylum applicants are still mostly from Syria and Afghanistan – two nationalities with a high chance of obtaining protection in Austria. Only 30 percent of applications from Syrians were rejected, whereas for Afghans 39 percent were refused.

READ ALSO: Border centres and ‘safe’ states: The EU’s major asylum changes explained

What does the change in profile mean for Austria?

One immediate consequence of the influx of children has already been seen in Vienna, the destination of most refugees: the school system is overwhelmed with the new arrivals, as several Austrian newspapers have reported in the last few weeks.

“This is putting such a strain on the system that high-quality teaching is hardly possible any more,” Thomas Krebs, a union representative, told Kurier. According to the report, around 300 children will arrive in Vienna every month, resulting in a need for 140 classes by the end of the school year. 

The Austrian capital was already overwhelmed by a shortage of teachers and an overflow of schoolchildren—particularly since the war in Ukraine, when 4,000 children were integrated into Vienna’s schools from February 2022.

The kids coming from Syria also need more support than merely German classes: “The Syrian children who come to us from refugee camps are a particular challenge for the system. Many are traumatised and often not even literate in their own language,” Krebs said.

He added that children need to spend more time in kindergarten—to learn “the basics, not just the language.” The education expert also believes it’s necessary to invest more in extracurricular activities, where young people can learn German, acquire behavioural skills that are important for school, and learn how to spend their free time meaningfully.

READ ALSO: What’s the reason behind the drop in Austrian asylum seeker claims?

What is Vienna doing?

Vienna’s Department of Education points out that new teachers are being recruited. In the current academic year, 2,400 teachers have been hired, Kurier reported.

Director of Education Heinrich Himmer said: “We support pupils and face the challenges together so that learning and living together work well. I would like to thank everyone who works so hard in Vienna’s schools. However, the responsibility for integration is an all-Austrian one, where solutions exist at the federal level.”

How does family reunification work?

There is a special process for granting family reunification rights for family members of refugees in Austria. 

According to information from the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum, if a foreigner has been granted asylum status in Austria, family members can apply for an entry permit at an Austrian representation authority abroad within three months of this status being granted.

If this is granted, they can travel to Austria to apply for asylum in the family procedure and receive the same protection status as the reference person. If the application is only submitted after three months, they must also provide proof of adequate accommodation, health insurance, and income.

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