In the turquoise-green government, the skirmishes go on lively. The two coalition partners had discussions on Monday about the admission of refugees from Afghanistan as well as about the cause of the Canon. Upper Austria’s Greens boss Stefan Kaineder caused quite a sharp criticism of Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) to sit up and take notice. Whose Afghanistan statements are “actually damage to the Republic of Austria”he said “Puls24”.
“A bit dubious”
Kurz’s refusal to take in Afghan refugees is namely “a bit dubious”, led the top candidate for the state election in the Puls24 broadcast “Milborn” Monday evening out. Austria accepts asylum applications, one is also obliged to do so “and we will continue to do so”. Interior Minister Karl Nehammer and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) held before Kaineder, their “Kind of shortening the discussion” lead to “that we are losing our international reputation”. He recommended the ÖVP to reconsider its Christian-social foundation of values.
In the OÖN interview on Saturday, Kaineder commented on the refugee issue:
Kurz had refused to accept refugees again at the weekend and instead pleaded for helping the people in Afghanistan’s neighboring states. Austria is already home to one of the largest Afghan communities in Europe. He was therefore “not of the opinion that we should take in more people in Austria”. “That will not happen under my chancellorship”the Chancellor had with reference to the “particularly difficult integration” emphasized by Afghan asylum seekers in this country.
“For strategic reasons, the Chancellor’s party ÖVP maintains its hardliner image, which the Greens cannot gain in view of the dramatic situation”, Kaineder had already told the APA on Monday morning. Tyrolean Greens club chairman Gebi Mair accused shortly, “to spread completely inhumane messages that have nothing to do with the reality of the rule of law”.
Greens want a Europe-wide initiative
The Federal Greens advocated one “Europe-wide initiative for the humanitarian reception of those seeking protection” – for Austria too “Provide resources and expertise” must. “Family reunions already in progress” had to be locked, they stated. And: “Austria’s efforts within the framework of the EU must concentrate on providing aid in Afghanistan, looking after the refugees in neighboring countries and the immediate evacuation of all those who fear for their lives.” Europe wear “clear responsibility to provide non-bureaucratic refuge for people who are acutely endangered by Taliban groups, such as women, children and human rights activists”.
The Greens also reaffirmed deportations to Afghanistan “cannot and will not exist”. It makes more sense to do what is possible under European law now “than to repeatedly discuss what is legally impossible at national level. Anyone who questions the Convention on Human Rights is questioning the very foundations of our Europe”, align them to your coalition partner.
The Green Party on Monday did not want to comment on the resignation of the former Viennese party leader Birgit Hebein, who justified this step with the refugee policy.
Causa canon as another area of conflict
Another area of conflict was the canon cause. According to a report by the news magazine “profile” E-mails from real estate investor Michael Tojner are supposed to indicate a substantive connection between the dedication of the Heumarkt project in the Vienna City Council and a 5,000 euro donation to the school project association of the former Vienna planning spokesman for the Greens, Christoph Chorherr. Thereupon, on Sunday, the turquoise U-Committee parliamentary group leader Andreas Hanger accused the Greens of possibly buying politics during their participation in government in Vienna. On Monday, Kaineder rated this as an easily transparent diversionary maneuver. “The Greens have removed a whole mountain of black and blue questions in the U-Committee and the ÖVP is now throwing back with pebbles”, so Kaineder.
Haimbuchner wants to turn away refugees at the border
Back to refugee policy again: The Upper Austrian FPÖ state party leader Manfred Haimbuchner demanded on Monday that refugees be turned away directly at the border. And for “Safeguarding national security” as well as the “Silence and order” he wants to arrest delinquent migrants who cannot be deported in detention centers.
The World Council of Churches in Austria (ÖRKÖ), which appealed to the federal government to grant protection and refuge to at least some particularly endangered people from Afghanistan in Austria, is quite different. Help on site in the region and the legal admission of people to Austria, which is regulated by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), should not be played off against each other. Both are needed, according to a statement by the ÖRKÖ board.
