FPÖ under pressure: supports Trump and justifies Putin's war!

FPÖ under pressure: supports Trump and justifies Putin's war!

The current geopolitical situation is largely shaped by the tensions between the USA and the EU. According to a current press release from the FPÖ, the party not only justifies Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, but also the controversial customs measures by ex-President Donald Trump. Reinhold Lopatka, head of the People's Party in the EU Parliament, sharply criticized this attitude by accusing the FPÖ to change the roles of the perpetrator and victims when it serves their ideological agenda. The FPÖ itself is split in terms of Trump's customs policy: while Barbara Kolm, a member of the party, sees this critically, Susanne Fürst expressly defends the USA.

Another aspect of the conflict is the fear of Lopatka that a trade war only knows losers. He emphasizes that the EU as the largest internal market must appear strong and confident in order to meet its own economic interests. The support of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič shows that Austria is working towards a negotiating solution with the United States. Although the FPÖ has very different opinions, it is clear that there are signs of leadership problems within the party.

new tariffs from the USA

Donald Trump announced the introduction of new tariffs to foreign products in a speech in the rose garden of the White House. From April 5, minimum tariffs of 10 % will be introduced to all imported products, followed by reciprocal tariffs on products from countries that collect tariffs on US products. These tariffs affect the EU, among other things, where a total of 20 % is to be raised to goods. China and India also receive high tariffs of 34 % or 26 %. The US economy is expected to suffer from these measures, which could lead to a decline in gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.8 to 1.3 percentage points.

The EU exports cars worth 38 billion euros annually to the United States. According to estimates, a trade war could go back to the United States by up to 30 % and cause more than 12 billion euros in loss. For Austria, a possible decline in economic output is predicted by 0.2 %, which could further tighten the already tense economic situation of the country, which has been in a recession for three years.

economic effects in the EU

The current customs conflicts with the USA have far-reaching negative effects on the EU companies. An investigation shows that not only the direct exporters are affected, but also numerous companies that provide raw materials and components to these exporters. The analysis predicts that a flat rate of 25 % on EU goods could reduce exports to the United States by half in the long term. Keynectors such as the pharmaceutical industry, transport equipment and electrical engineering.

While the federal government is trying to take countermeasures, the EU is also looking for new trading partners. The next step could be the Mercosur Agreement with Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. This strategy would not only contribute to the diversification of trade relationships, but would also reduce the dependency on the US demand. The EU plans to raise tariffs on US export goods such as motorcycles, jeans and bourbon and to regulate critical US digital services.

For further details on these developments see OTS , DetailsOrtÖsterreich, LandQuellen

• www.ots.at
• kurier.at
• www.diw.de