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Austria's political culture at the turning point: return to unity and respect!
Caritas President Michael Landau warns of an illiberal spirit in Austria and advocates solidarity and more Europe.
Austria's political culture at the turning point: return to unity and respect!
In an urgent appeal, Michael Landau, President of Caritas Europe, warns of a dangerous political climate in Austria. In a guest commentary for the daily newspaper "The Standard", he emphasizes that political developments have reached a critical point. In particular, the recently known protocols of the failed government negotiations between the FPÖ and ÖVP show a worrying tendency to restrict human rights and to weaken the welfare state. According to Landau, these changes indicate the emergence of an "illiberal spirit", which harms the country's political culture, as well as The press reported.
Landau emphasizes that this trend is not irreversible and that it is time to face the politics of fear. The Caritas President demands that political responsibilities in Austria should again develop a culture of dialogue and mutual respect: "A society in which the better argument counts more than the stronger emotion" is still possible. In view of growing fears, however, it must be traded quickly. "Anyone who stirs up fears and cultivates tactically tactically harms Austria," he says, underlining the need to act against the "ghost of populism" and to stand up for the weakest in society, as was explained in the "Ice Curtain" memorial in Upper Austria.
An appeal for more solidarity in Europe
In his speech, Landau advocated a stronger and more solidarity Europe that is not directed by fear, but by hope. "The challenges of our time require more cohesion," he says, referring to the alarming child poverty in the EU. Despite the success of the European Union, the risk of division is real and need active resistance. The children's guarantee launched by the European Union must be quickly implemented into concrete measures, warns Landau and adds that "we can only continue the success story of Europe if we act united". In doing so, he appeals to the responsibility of everyone to ensure solidarity not only in Austria, but also at a global level, as from Kathpress reported.