The far-right Freedom Party of Austria (PFÖ) is leading the polls ahead of the next general election.
The European Union (EU) must continue to develop its migration policy and have asylum centers outside their territory to respond to the concerns of voters attracted to the extreme right, he explained to ‘Euronews’ the minister for the European Union from Austria.
Karoline Edtstadler spoke to ‘Euronews’ on the sidelines of the Forum Alpbach, the annual political congress in Tyrol, weeks before a general election in Austria, in which the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) is on track to obtain the highest percentage of votes, according to polls.
Edtstadler belongs to the center-right Austrian People’s Party, currently in a coalition government with the Greens. “We have to take the concerns of Austrian citizens seriously, and one of them is the increase in illegal immigration in Vienna and other cities“Edtstadler said when asked what his party could do to win voters’ trust.
“We have a problem with people who are here, but do not comply with our values, and we have to do something more at European level to mitigate it,” added the minister. “One has to continue developing the immigration pactand we have to take more steps to create asylum centers in third countries [no comunitarios]. More needs to be done,” she added.
Outsourcing EU migration policy
The EU agreed on the bloc’s new immigration rules in May, after a decade of disputes. Non-governmental organisations, such as Amnesty International and Oxfam, have warned that they do not offer solutions to those seeking safety.
Days after the EU completed the New Pact on Migration and Asylumon May 15, Member States, such as Austria, made a joint call to externalize migration and asylum policy, arguing that the “unsustainable” increase in irregular arrivals in recent years justified thinking about alternative options.
“The EU and its Member States must improve their contribution to an equal, constructive and comprehensive partnership with key countries, especially along migration routes, by changing our focus: from managing irregular migration in Europe, to support for refugees and host communities in the regions of origin,” they noted.
Expand the EU for “security”
On Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a decrease in irregular immigration into Germany, after a Syrian asylum seeker was accused last week of killing three people in a knife attack in Solingen.
“This was terrorism, terrorism against all of us,” Scholz said during a visit to the city. The chancellor stated that Germany will do everything possible to ensure that “those who cannot and should not remain in Germany are repatriated and deported.”
Edtstadler also told Euronews that the bloc should gradually expand to include new members, but that “no elections will be won with the accession process (…) However, it must be made clear that politicians are not here [solo] for the short term of a campaign, and they must be responsible for the five years for which they have been elected.
The Austrian minister added: “If it is explained that membership is necessary for security, it is a more understandable message.
