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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.

POLITICS

Why 1.5 million people can’t vote in Austria’s crucial federal election

Almost one in five people in Austria won’t have a say in the upcoming election, mainly due to the country’s restrictive citizenship laws.

Published: 11 September 2024 10:15 CEST
Updated: 15 September 2024 08:19 CEST
Why 1.5 million people can't vote in Austria's crucial federal election

As Austria prepares for its upcoming National Council elections on September 29th, nearly 1.5 million people living in the country will be unable to participate despite being of voting age, Austrian media has reported.

This group, which represents around 19 percent of the population aged 16 and over, is largely composed of residents who do not hold Austrian citizenship.

While Austria has some of the most restrictive citizenship laws in the world, the election will still see some new eligible voters—particularly descendants of Nazi regime victims—casting their ballots for the first time, thanks to a 2019 amendment to the citizenship law that made the naturalisation process less restrictive for these cases. Among them is British actor Stephen Fry, whose grandmother fled Austria to escape Nazi persecution.

READ ALSO: Austria improves nationality law for descendants of Nazi victims

Over the past two decades, the number of residents not eligible to vote has more than doubled, from around 9 percent in 2002 to 19 percent today. Of the 1.5 million residents unable to vote, about half are citizens of other EU countries. While they are allowed to vote in EU elections, they are excluded from Austria’s national elections.

This growing number of non-voters contrasts with the shrinking pool of eligible voters. Despite having around 6.3 million eligible voters, Austria’s stringent naturalisation process means that only a small fraction of its long-term foreign residents can (or want to) attain citizenship and the right to vote.

READ ALSO: What makes Austrian citizenship so hard to get?

Who is eligible for citizenship in Austria?

Currently in Austria, if someone wants to take up citizenship via naturalisation they have to undergo an extensive and expensive process and fulfil specific criteria.

Generally, there needs to be at least 10 years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Austria. But there are exceptions for those with citizenship of an EU or EEA country, those born in Austria, or married to an Austrian, for example.

The main hurdles, however, include having to give up any other citizenships, as Austria doesn’t allow dual citizenship in naturalisation cases with few exceptions, and paying a high fee, which depends on the municipality.

What’s at stake?

The elections will determine the composition of the National Council, Austria’s parliament. The far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) is currently leading in the polls, followed by the centre-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP). The results could significantly change the country’s political landscape.

While many are still unable to vote, Austria’s decision to grant citizenship to descendants of Nazi regime victims has (slightly) expanded the voter base. 

Under this provision, around 27,800 people, mostly living abroad, have regained Austrian citizenship. The Foreign Ministry has encouraged these new citizens to participate in the elections.

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