Red student representative on the rise: start coalition talks!

Red student representative on the rise: start coalition talks!

The student advocacy in Austria faces significant changes after the association has achieved a historically good result in the last elections. With 30 percent of the votes and 18 out of 55 mandates, the organization moves into the Austria -wide student parliament, which means not only an increase of 4 percentage points, but also an increase of 3 mandates. The Reds achieved particular success at the University of Salzburg with almost 40 percent and at the Economics University, where they received a quarter of the votes. These election results indicate that the focus of the faction is the right ones, as the expected ÖH chairman, Wienerroither, emphasized.

In the coming weeks, Wienerroither plans to conduct coalition talks in order to form a “left coalition”, leaving it open whether it will be a coalition of two. It emphasizes how much easier important tasks could be implemented in such an arrangement. A central concern of the VSSTÖ is to make studying affordable for everyone. The first measure should be improved.

social issues in focus

The plans of the VSSTÖ go beyond the improvement of the study conditions. Wienerroither and their faction are calling for a strong left voice for social security, affordable living and the fight against the right. This is done against the background of a worrying increase in right -wing extremists at universities. Universities should act as places for progressive ideas and not as a retreat for old, discriminatory worldviews.

The vSSTÖ election program also includes the need for a cross -university action plan against right -wing extremism. In the past, Austria's universities have not always followed their own Nazi past seamlessly, which has contributed to the spread of right-wing extremists. Right-wing extremists still feel comfortable at many universities, including fraternities that are hardly discussed. Studis Online indicates that right-wing extremist ideologies not only spread in social outskirts, but also in academic milieus are.

Current challenges in university creatures

The debate about right -wing extremism at universities rarely comes into focus of the public discussion. This means that foreign students reject study places out of fear of racism and so -called "nationally liberated zones". Access to universities was also reserved for a long time privileged groups, which limits diversity among the students. Currently there are only 24 out of 100 workers' children the way to the university, which underlines the urgency of reforms.

Overall, there is a clear need for action to strengthen universities as places in education and progressive ideas. The VSSTÖ is determined in this regard and will continue to have intensive discussions in order to promote future -oriented and including university policy that meets today's challenges.