Greens call for state security to monitor FP youth

2023-08-31 14:09:00

The outrage over the video that the Freedom Youth published on the YouTube channel “FPÖ TV” over the weekend is not abating. On Thursday, Greens security spokesman David Stögmüller demanded that the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN) monitor the FP youth in the Ö1 “Mittagsjournal”.

In the two and a half minute video, the blue youth railed against, among other things, “rainbow terror”, “population exchange” and allegedly “left” journalists such as ORF moderator Armin Wolf. Images of riots and the burning Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris are juxtaposed with shots of folk dances and soldiers. A pan to the “Hitler Balcony” on Heldenplatz and the recommendation of right-wing authors are also part of the production.

Also Linzer FP boss in the video

The video shows not only FP boss Herbert Kickl, Lower Austria’s FP boss Udo Landbauer and Linz FP boss Michael Raml, but also members of the right-wing extremist identities.

The DSN, which has classified the identities as right-wing extremists, must also “be aware of their constitutional duty and show a clear edge with the FP youth,” says Stögmüller. In Germany, the AfD is classified as a suspected right-wing extremist and the Thuringian AfD as clearly right-wing extremist. He cannot understand why this is not the case with the FP youth in Austria. He doesn’t hope “that the reason is that people are afraid of the governor of Lower Austria (Johanna Mikl-Leitner, VP)”. Mikl-Leitner, who is in a coalition with Udo Landbauer’s FPÖ in Lower Austria, said of the video: “It’s not my job to comment on every Internet provocation from the right or left and to advertise it. That’s how it is for the vast majority of the middle something definitely not normal.”

According to media reports, the controversial video has already been checked by the DSN and reported to the public prosecutor. This was not confirmed by the DSN. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution monitors and analyzes various people and groups “who may be pursuing extremist or anti-constitutional activities.” In principle, however, no information is given on surveys of specific organizations, groups or people.

Kickl sees “pseudo excitement”

In the FPÖ there is no problem with the video. “I think that’s great,” said party leader Herbert Kickl in “Austria”. In the video he only sees “young people who deal with each other and have a positive approach to home and nature, who value their culture”. He spoke of a “pseudo-excitement”.

In Upper Austria, SP leader Michael Lindner criticizes the “lack of distance” from FP state party leader Manfred Haimbuchner from the Identitarians. In the OÖN summer interview, Haimbuchner spoke out against the “criminalization” of movements such as the Identitarians.