Sebastian Kurz on EU problems:
At the MCC Fest, former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz commented on the results of the European elections and the current situation in the EU.
At the political festival in Esztergom organized by the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), Kurz spoke about the shift to the right in the last European elections, which, in his view, did not trigger a revolution. The Greens’ significant loss of votes is a sign that support for the way in which climate change is being addressed and the “cancel culture” that makes free expression impossible is declining among the population.
ECJ looks backwards
Although this has not yet reached the top of the EU, political positions have shifted significantly recently, particularly in migration policy. While in 2015 it was still considered a right-wing extremist position to talk about protecting borders, today even left-wing politicians dare to take a stand on border protection. Unfortunately, only the rhetoric has changed, not the actual measures. For example, the ECJ has sentenced Hungary to an unprecedented fine precisely because of its migration policy, which also protects the Schengen borders.
Diplomacy instead of escalation
Kurz expressed cautious optimism about the war in Ukraine. He admitted that there is no easy solution or answer to this conflict. Nevertheless, it is certainly better to try to keep the diplomatic channels open than to give up. The Prime Minister’s political director, his namesake Balázs Orbán, also described the restoration of communication channels as a first step on the road to peace. During Viktor Orbán’s peace mission, it became clear that both sides are sticking to their own goals and will not give them up. Therefore, help from outside is needed, and the EU could act as such a strong voice if it were united.
Kurz still sees the EU and the USA as role models for the rest of the world. However, this role model function is not based on Western democracy, but on the economic successes achieved. He warned that Europe’s political model could become significantly less attractive for many parts of the world if economic success wanes.
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