The “Awareness Region” association takes on the FPÖ over the EU election poster

Her election posters about “EU madness,” in which she accuses the European Union of warmongering, among other things, have brought the FPÖ harsh criticism in recent days. For example, the Ukrainian Embassy complained to the Foreign Ministry about this “manipulative and distorted portrayal” of the Russian war of aggression.

Even in the Perg district, the FPÖ posters are not without opposition. The “Awareness Region Mauthausen – Gusen – St. Georgen” has added its own poster stands to the subjects in Mauthausen and St. Georgen an der Gusen. “Dictatorship and fascism begin with hatred, disinformation and propaganda. This is followed by contempt for humanity and division.” In the conscious region you remember very clearly what happened afterwards. “(Almost) everyone learned that from it,” is the conclusion of the statement put up at several FP poster locations.

This contradiction now angers the Mauthausen FPÖ chairman and off-duty state parliament member Alexander Nerat. This would bring FPÖ voters closer to National Socialism and he firmly rejects that, Nerat told the “OÖNachrichten”: “The content of the text is absolutely undisputed. Above all, as a Mauthausen resident, I reject the list next to our posters a closeness between the Nazi dictatorship and the Freedom Party is implied. That is simply the last thing!” As an association that is financed by the member communities and supports various public funding programs, it is not appropriate for the awareness region to pursue active party politics. Nerat also doubts whether this initiative is in accordance with the association’s statutes.

The awareness region launched the campaign very consciously, emphasizes its managing director Andrea Wahl. “Our statutes have clearly formulated goals. One of them is to contribute to preventing misguided developments through information and increasing critical awareness.” If the EU peace project, which has been helping to ensure that we live in peace in Europe for the most part for 80 years, is described as “madness”, one cannot simply leave it alone. Wahl: “I see the texts from the Consciousness Region not only as a legitimate contribution to the democratic discussion, but also as an urgently needed one.”

One could certainly discuss the content and taste of the poster, admits FP chairman Nerat. In Austria, however, there is a custom not to discredit a poster from an election campaigning party with a counter-poster: “You don’t do something like that.” That’s why he reacts so angrily to the Awareness Region’s poster stands: “We Freedom Party members have also always voted in the local council to support the work of the Awareness Region. If this is now the way of saying thank you for it, I’m very disappointed.”