Sebastian Kurz, former chancellor of Austria, gave an interview to Magyar Nemzet at the MCC Fest, organized by the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC).
Sebastian Kurz: Real Change Is Needed
Asked how he sees Austria’s current political situation and how the country’s politics have evolved in recent years, the former head of government exlpained:
The Austrian situation is comparable to that of many other European countries, especially Germany. We need economic growth. The economy has slowed, and immigration remains a challenge. At the moment, the situation is very similar to that of many European countries.
In response to our question on migration policy, the former chancellor recalled:
This was the policy ten years ago, when the migration crisis began — the 'Wir schaffen das' and the open borders policy — and the position of Angela Merkel and the entire European mainstream was very problematic.
Mr. Kurz emphasized that he's “always fought against this mainstream.”
He added:
In the beginning, our group was very small, and we fought a tough battle. Together with Hungary and a few other countries, we strongly opposed this mainstream position. I would say that in recent years many have changed their stance, but unfortunately, this still happens mostly in words, not in actions.
According to Mr. Kurz, the European Union’s current regulations also need to be rethought.
I believe we need real change in European law and regulation, because in my opinion a system has developed that simply does not work and makes it very difficult for EU member states to stop illegal migration.
If we look at the situation in many European capitals — not Budapest, but for example Brussels or Paris — we see that these cities have become unsafe and are changing in a negative direction.
On Austria’s political culture, Sebastian Kurz said: I generally do not comment on Austria’s political culture, I stay at the European level. I think we, in Europe, need a better debate. Sometimes I feel that the mainstream position — whatever the topic — is so strong that there is hardly any room to question it or to present other approaches. by contrast, “the essence of democracy is the respectful discussion of different positions and views,” he said, adding that “sometimes I feel this kind of debate is missing from the political scene.”
