With their traditional Western and Christian culture at stake, Austria held their parliamentary election on Sunday, October 15th. After the coalition government collapsed and the two longtime partner parties turned on one another, the country had to make a decision–patriotism or globalism.
Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz is the center-right Austrian People’s Party candidate who was expected to win yesterday, and he did not disappoint. His opponents were Christian Kern of the Social Democratic Party of Austria and the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria, Heinz-Christian Strache.
Since 2015, Austria has seen a huge increase in Syrian Muslim migrants fleeing their war-torn country. Now, voters are becoming increasingly concerned for their country and its security, and it was all hanging in the balance during this election. Kurz’s stance on immigration brings a lot of the same criticism that President Trump’s position did in the United States. A Jewish political adviser, Tal Silberstein of the SDP suggested that Kurz was anti-Semitic in social media posts. Silberstein has since been fired and insists that Social Democratic Chancellor Christian Kern knew nothing about the postings.
After seeing the impact of the migration over the last two years, Austrian citizens are prepared to put social justice aside for a new leader who will, in fact, be tougher on immigration and make Austria and it’s citizens his number one priority.
Conservative populism continues to spread throughout Europe due to the same rising concerns that Austria is experiencing right now. From Brexit to the popularity of Marine Le Pen in France to the rise of The Freedom Party in The Netherlands, Europe is beginning to wake up to the realities of globalism, and now Austria has joined the movement. The cosmopolitan bureaucrats in Brussels carrying water for the European Union have to be shaking in their boots!
Austria tires of clashing cultures?