The FPÖ wants the votes of EU opponents and argues with the ÖVP about EU missions.
Europe’s right-wing populist parties will not be the top candidate for the EU election. “We reject that,” says free-lance MEP Georg Mayer. “But Salvini could be the face of the election campaign,” he admits in an interview with the KURIER in Brussels. Mayer speaks of a “huge potential” right-wing and EU-rejecting voters: “No question, we will lead a EU-critical election campaign. Criticizing the EU is our unique selling proposition.” Mayer announces his own right- wing group in the newly-elected EU Parliament with the words “Something big is going to happen.”
EU-internal investigations predict a considerable gain for right-wing and populist parties. The comfortable cooperation between black and red is unlikely to exist in the new parliament, multi-factional alliances will be needed to form majorities. OVP delegation head Othmar Karas shakes his head decisively: “There will never be a cooperation with the rightists.” He starts from a “directional election campaign”.
Against the background of the French-German initiative to expand the European Defense Union, Karas also wants to push this question in the election campaign. Austria is finally known in the EU Treaty, as the ÖVP politician stressed. Therefore, “Austria participates in the further development of security and defense policy”. Austria is also involved in the EU Battlegroup, the rapid reaction force. Faced with the Karas thrust FPÖ MP Mayer. “We are strictly against the EU army. In addition, Austria is neutral. “The controversy gives a foretaste of the EU election campaign, the issues of social Europe and European defense will determine the dispute.
Evelyn Regner insists on a social Europe. The SPÖ Head of Delegation wants to make social security an election issue: more protection for employees, including those who work across borders. EU directive on worker mobility has been blocked for a long time because red and black are not in agreement.