Might Austria have a Brexit vote?

Neos demand no to an Austria “Exit”

The British have done it. The Austrians could do it too. At least in theory. By leaving the EU. At least there is one person who would like to, according to a recent survey: FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl.

The Neos want all parties to commit to not holding a referendum on leaving the EU before the National Council elections. They are targeting the FPÖ in particular.

According to a survey conducted in twelve EU countries and published at the end of last week by the think tank European Counci. A majority of Austrians confirm to the blue party leader’s desire to leave the EU. Among the FPÖ voters surveyed, the figure was 56%, among all other respondents as high as 59%.

According to the survey, only the Dutch right-wing populist Geert Wilders is considered to have a greater desire to leave the EU than Kickl. 63% of Dutch voters see Wilders as having a longing for the Netherlands to leave the EU.

Austria needs a referendum

Neos is taking the survey as an opportunity to demand a renewed commitment to Austria’s EU membership from all domestic parties. Specifically, the opposition party now wants a written commitment from all parliamentary groups to rule out a possible referendum on leaving the EU. Such a referendum, similar to the Brexit referendum in the UK in 2016, would also be necessary for an “Austria Exit”. This is because Austria’s EU membership has constitutional status.

The mere fact that Austria’s exit from the EU is considered possible in the survey poses major risks for Austria as a business and employment location and its position within Europe, argue the Neos. According to Hoyos, we are currently seeing on a daily basis that only a united EU can guarantee security and progress for Austria. A joint commitment to the Union is therefore in the interests of the Austrian population.

Brexit has shown what happens when “no thick firewall is erected against the lure of nationalist populism”. In a sovereign Europe, such a scenario should not be repeated in any other member state. Especially not “in a country like Austria, whose population is one of the big winners of EU membership”, says Hoyos.

The decidedly pro-European positions of the Neos are no surprise. In the past, the party has always emphasized what it sees as the many advantages of EU membership. But what interest should other parliamentary parties have in responding to the opposition party’s demands without necessity? “Genuine democrats who want the best for Austria should have no problem with such a declaration,” says Hoyos. Parties that show doubts about their plans regarding Austria’s EU membership. “They should have no place in the next government in the interests of the country anyway”, says the Neos Secretary General.