Harald Vilimsky would be delighted to see Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as European Commission president, the lead candidate on the EP electoral list of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) told the Austrian APA news agency in an interview, reviewed by the Austrian daily Exxpress.
I believe that he would do Europe good. He is the antithesis of the entire EU establishment,
Vilimsky said.
Hungary's premier would be a guarantor of bringing migration to a halt, the Austrian politician said. As Magyar Nemzet reported in an earlier piece, Vilimsky has repeatedly spoken out against migration, and described the EU's migration pact adopted recently as "nothing more than an attempt foredoomed to failure, as it will do nothing to change the continuing mass immigration into the EU".
In an interview with our newspaper, he said that it was up to voters to decide whether immigration, illegal migration and asylum abuse should continue or be stopped.
And if parties like mine or Fidesz win, I am convinced that illegal migration will end, but now voters must make the decision on this issue.
The FPO's top candidate rejected that he wanted Austria to exit the EU, stressing that he wanted to rationalize the organization. As an example, he referred to the Lisbon Treaty, which stipulates for 18 EU commissioners instead of 27. In addition, he wants to give powers back to the parliaments of the member states, so that "we have more direct democracy".
He also sees it possible that Austria, under an FPO-led government, could stop payments to the EU.
If the FPO were to come out the strongest party in the European Parliament elections, the party would claim the right to nominate the Austrian EU commissioner, in line with Austria's political tradition, Vilimsky made clear.
Regarding Ukraine's EU membership, which he supported a few years ago, he said that he now considers it impossible because the country is at war and the geopolitical situation has changed. He would not like to see Georgia and Moldova among the member states either.
Vilimsky denied that his party was "pro-Russian", pointing out that it also had close contacts with the United States.
In line with the Austrian tradition, I see myself in the center of the fields of power,
he emphasized.
He would also insist on Austria's neutrality. Neutrality is not only part of Austria's identity, but it can also serve to protect it, since neutral countries are less likely to get involved in conflicts.
Cover photo: In the photo released by the Hungarian PM's Press Office, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks in an interview on the program "Good Morning, Hungary!" in the studio of public radio on May 17, 2024 (Photo: MTI/ Hungarian PM's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)
