Increasing Penalties for Climate Stickers and Extending Status for Ukrainians: Interior Minister’s Agenda

The Minister of the Interior makes it clear that he finds the much-criticized video of the young FPÖ “horrible”. He also wants to give Ukrainians in Austria a perspective and advocates higher penalties for “climate glue”.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) advocates an extension of the expellee status for Ukrainians and also wants to give refugees stranded in Austria from the country invaded by Russia a longer-term perspective. Furthermore, the minister made it clear in the APA interview that the plans for Hitler’s birthplace remain in place, that he finds the much-criticized video of the young FPÖ “horrible” and would welcome harsher penalties for the “climate stickers”.

Karner lists that this year there have already been 500 arrests and 2,300 reports in connection with the adhesive campaigns. The police are strategically well positioned here. But apparently the current level of punishment is not deterrent enough. Therefore, a tightening in individual areas makes sense from the police point of view.

“Radical climate activists” are just one of several groups that are increasingly being targeted by the authorities. This also includes Islamist extremists, those who refuse to accept the state and right-wing extremists, although Karner has recorded successes for the DSN, the Directorate for State Security Intelligence Services, with all of these groups.

Blurred lines under Kickl lead ‘to such horrors’

Karner does not want to comment on whether the minister also classifies the Junge FPÖ as “right-wing extremist” after their much-criticized video with various echoes of the right-wing extremist scene. He fully trusts the expertise and the surveys of the state security. The blurry border to the right-wing extremists that emerged under FP boss Herbert Kickl led to “such horrors” as the video, says the department head. When Kickl describes the Identitarians as a harmless preliminary organization, it obviously encourages the party youth to make “such disgusting videos”.

Karner also refers to the book by the former state security chief Peter Gridling, in which he suspects that the raid on the BVT carried out under Kickl may have been related to the fact that the department head at the time wanted to receive information about investigations into right-wing extremists. The minister also did not want to comment on the fact that the now pensioner is writing a book about his own former authority.

Plans for Hitler’s birthplace remain in place

The Interior Ministry’s plans to convert Hitler’s birthplace in Braunau into a police station have recently been widely discussed again. Karner is still sticking to the plan. Since 2015, and in fact even longer, people have been thinking intensively about how to deal with this highly sensitive topic. The recommendation for the new use came from a commission made up of historians such as Oliver Rathkolb and Stefan Karner, also supported by the Documentation Archive of the Austrian Resistance and the President of the Jewish community Oskar Deutsch, as well as ex-Justice Minister Clemens Jabloner – well thought out: “And once you’ve made a decision, stick with that decision. Implementation will begin in the fall of this year.

The head of department is concerned about the future of those displaced from Ukraine by Russian aggression. It is to be feared that the war will continue for the time being and that their special status in the EU will have to be extended again, as the Commission has already considered. Austria will support that.

That gives time to think about how to give those who have established themselves on the Austrian labor market the opportunity to settle down here permanently. Karner uses experience from the Yugoslav wars, where 50 percent of the refugees stayed in Austria permanently, as a prognosis guideline. Now those displaced from the Ukraine will also be given a perspective – this also applies to the companies that employ these people.

Karner wants to destroy the smugglers’ business

When it comes to asylum numbers, Karner points to a drop in applications of fifty percent or more in recent months. This is not a reason to celebrate, but a work order to consistently continue on the path we have taken. The primary goal remains to destroy the smugglers’ business. Nationally, the minister believes that Austria must become less attractive as a destination, which is also related to financial incentives. He therefore supports the proposal from his party that one should only be able to receive full social assistance after five years on the labor market.

Internationally, however, Karner sees movement in the direction he wants, for example with regard to asylum procedures in safe third countries. A certain dynamic has developed here at European level, which is also related to the increase in applications in Germany and Italy. Now there is a need for solidarity at European level and for what has been agreed to be adhered to. (APA)

2023-09-03 14:46:32
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