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Austrian centre-right calls for ban on far-right Identitarians

Austria's centre-right party has said it will insist on banning the far-right Identitarian Movement (IBÖ) as a condition of any coalition after next month's elections.

Published: 19 August 2019 09:17 CEST
Austrian centre-right calls for ban on far-right Identitarians
File photo of the Austrian parliament. Photo: Alex Halada/AFP

Such a ban “must be in the next coalition agreement”, ÖVP parliamentary group leader August Wöginger said in a statement released to Austrian media.

The IBÖ, previously best known for its anti-immigration stunts, sparked controversy in Austria earlier this year after it was revealed that its leader Martin Sellner received money and exchanged emails with the suspected perpetrator of gun attacks on mosques in New Zealand in March which left 51 people dead.

The ÖVP's call for the movement to be banned comes as it tries to maintain its commanding poll lead ahead of parliamentary elections on September 29th while at the same time distancing itself from its former coalition partner, the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ).

Austrian media reports have documented numerous links between Identitarian activists and FPÖ party members.

After the ÖVP first floated possible moves against the Identitarians earlier this week, the FPÖ's former Interior Minister Herbert Kickl rejected the possibility of banning the IBÖ, saying such a move would be “a deep attack on the rule of law”.

Wöginger said in his statement that Kickl had become the Identitarians' “principal patron saint”.

The coalition between the ÖVP and the FPÖ was sworn in in late 2017 but was dogged by frequent scandals over extremist statements by FPÖ party members.

The government collapsed in May after a video emerged of the then leader of the FPÖ, Heinz-Christian Strache, appearing to offer public contracts to a fake Russian donor in return for campaign help for the FPÖ.

The scandal prompted Strache to resign as vice-chancellor and led then Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to call fresh elections.

Earlier this week Strache's house was raided as apart of another investigation into possible corruption offences surrounding the appointment of an FPÖ official to a high-ranking position at a gambling corporation.

Despite the scandals, and the recriminations that have flown between the ÖVP and the FPÖ since their coalition collapsed, a fresh government composed of the two parties is seen as one of the most likely outcomes of September's poll.

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POLITICS

How can Vienna solve its ‘immigration problems’?

The Austrian capital faces challenges with a high influx of immigrants, primarily people coming through family reunification for refugees' families. What does each major political party believe should be done to tackle the issues?

Published: 10 May 2024 11:57 CEST
How can Vienna solve its 'immigration problems'?

The number of asylum applications has dropped in Austria, but changes in the profile of those arriving are creating new demands and new policies, as The Local has reported. After the first influx of mostly men, their families are following and reaching Austria legally through a family reunification process specific to asylum seekers. 

According to recent data, a significant number of asylum applications in the first quarter of 2024 came from young children. Minors made up a substantial portion, around 53 percent, of total applications. There’s also been a noticeable increase in the number of women seeking asylum.

This influx of children has already had a direct impact on the country. News reports indicate that schools in the primary destination city, Vienna, are struggling to accommodate the new arrivals.

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

The housing market and the healthcare system are also under pressure, Austrian media has reported. What does each major party believe should be done to tackle the issues?

SPÖ and NEOS

The ruling Viennese coalition has already put forth several measures, particularly regarding issues with the education system. In the current academic year, 2,400 teachers have been hired to help schools as new pupils arrive.

Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) has also been vocal about criticising the federal government’s system for distributing refugees. He asks for an Austria-wide, more equitable policy so that each state takes a “fair share”.

“It is unacceptable for the government to demand a fair distribution among the states at the EU level while failing to meet its obligations at home,” he said.

The liberal party NEOS says that the “primary goal” should be reducing illegal migration at the European level. The pink party proposes that asylum procedures be carried out at the EU’s external borders and that there be a “fair distribution” of asylum seekers within the bloc. 

READ ALSO: What are Austria’s plans to tighten family reunification process?

ÖVP and Greens

Two opposition parties—and partners in the federal government—have also made their stance known. The centre-right party ÖVP criticises “Vienna’s undifferentiated welcome policy,” which it says receives “with open arms” even asylum seekers who are assigned to other provinces in Austria. 

The party wants to make Vienna a less attractive destination for refugees, reducing benefits and increasing the waiting period for refugees to receive some of the monetary assistance they can request. 

The Greens want to focus on integration measures, including quick access to language training and the labour market so that refugees can “make their contribution to this society”. 

Far-right: No social assistance for non-citizens

As you might expect, the far-right FPÖ is the most anti-refugee (and anti-immigration in general) party. 

In an interview with Krone.tv, Freedom Party parliamentary representative Dominik Nepp claimed that “social welfare for non-citizens should be set to zero”.

When asked where to re-home asylum seekers and how to distribute them in Austria, he said, “Where to? To their home countries! We don’t need to distribute them; we need to deport them as quickly as possible”.

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