Following yesterday’s elections for president in Austria and the victory of Alexander van der Bellen, Gianni Pittella, S&D Group president in the European Parliament, and Evelyn Regner, head of the Austrian S&D Delegation in the EP, reacted with relief. However, they called for clear lessons to be learnt, both for Austria and the whole of Europe.
Gianni Pittella, S&D Group president, said:
“We very much welcome the outcome of the presidential Austrian election. Congratulations to Mr. Alexander Van der Bellen. It is indeed a sigh of relief to see that the worst fears didn’t come true with the election of an extreme right candidate whose party ideology originates directly from National Socialism. However if we want to be serious we cannot run from facing the worrying reality: One Austrian out of two voted in favour of Norbert Hofer. This is a political earthquake that follows a trend felt in all of Europe: the conservative and social democratic powers are losing support to extreme movements which fan the flames of people’s fear.
“Rightly or not, in front of the enormous challenges we face - the migration crisis, economic stagnation, the terrorist threat or the challenges of globalisation - the traditional parties are increasingly perceived as incapable or unwilling to innovate themselves and reform the system.
“What is even worse, in some cases, is that progressive forces are losing their fundamental values by running after right wing proposals. The preventive wall at the Brenner border is a clear example of that. This is what European citizens expect from extreme right forces, not from us.
“This is why, now more than ever, there is no more political space to preserve or to conserve the status quo. Any change involves risks. Sure. However, it is better to risk by fighting to change and innovate Europe than just remaining glued to our sets and waiting for extreme and radical forces to wipe out the EU.
“Without radical reforms based on solidarity, we will be soon forced to hand the keys to our future to the Hofers, Salvinis, Le Pens, and Farages of Europe.”
Evelyn Regner, head of the Austrian S&D Delegation, added:
“I am confident that with Alexander Van der Bellen, as president of Austria, will give new momentum to Europe, which has also been shown by the new Chancellor Christian Kern.
“It is an important signal that Austria did not get a far-right president. Yet the division within the country is very worrying. This division and the wide support for the far-right candidate received are based on fears, which are wide spread across the European Union, not only in Austria.
“We have to take these fears seriously and it is the task of president Van der Bellen as the new president and all other progressive politicians to face these.
“However in light of this run-off, Alexander Van der Bellen and Christian Kern are my dream team at the top of Austria”.
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