“If the interior minister fails to protect the border, there must be actions like this,” said state party leader Alexander Petschnig in a broadcast. Minister Karl Nehammer (VP) criticized this action by the Identitren Movement on Sunday and described it as “intolerable”.
“Zero tolerance for hypocritical border guards”, however, stated Petschnig. The action at the border in Rechnitz was a “peaceful stroll by a group” and Nehammer “hushed up his failure by trying to attribute such protests to right-wing radicalism”.
VP country manager Patrik Fazekas then located “again identity proximity” of the FP in Burgenland and criticized Petschnig in a broadcast. Such actions would interfere with police work and instead of putting the “self-appointed right-wing extremist border sheriffs” in their place, Petschnig defended them, according to Fazekas.
Criticism also came from Greens club chairwoman Regina Petrik, who accused the FP of “playing down the identity campaign”. “It is really dangerous when a party indirectly calls for the formation of civil groups because one is not satisfied with the work of the executive,” emphasized Petrik. The Young People’s Party called on Daniela Winkler (SP) to check whether the Freedom Youth could be excluded from public funding because they had taken part in the “walks” and called for participation.
SP country manager Roland Frst emphasized to the APA that in Burgenland “no political extremists are needed, such actions are as necessary as a goiter”. In his opinion, that doesn’t change the fact that “the turquoise security policy has failed completely,” said Frst.
