Formers and FPÖ: A look at the coalition crises

Formers and FPÖ: A look at the coalition crises

In the past few weeks, Austrian politics has again attracted attention, especially with regard to the role of the fraternities within the FPÖ. National Council President Walter Rosenkranz recently commented in a clear announcement that fraternities were an "indispensable component" of the republic. This not only caused excitement among political observers, but also among the fraternities themselves, to which rosarys belong personally.

The fraternities, a traditional element of Austrian student connections, have experienced an eventful history within the FPÖ in the past. Especially during the reign under Jörg Haider, they grew influence, while they were tended to be pushed into the background during opposition times. This dynamic led to the emergence of a special culture and tradition that has manifested itself in events such as the academic ball that has been organized by the FPÖ since 2013.

fraternities and the FPÖ: a slow approach

The influence of fraternities is undeniable. Especially over the past few years we have experienced how political actors have moved closer to these connecting groups within the FPÖ. Herbert Kickl, the former interior minister and today's FPÖ boss, shows an increasingly striking relationship with these compounds. Kickl, himself never a member of a fraternity, still has close connections to leading members of the Olympia fraternity, which is considered very radical.

These connections are reinforced not least by the activist Martin Sellner, the founder of the identities. Sellner, former member of the Olympia fraternity, is known for his extreme views and already pointed out a certain preference of the FPÖ for the identities. The academic ball has developed into a symbol of this intimate collaboration, with the Identificação Jamboree in a right -hand congress in Linz organized by the Arminia Czernowitz fraternity in 2016 and Herbert Kickl acted as a keynote speaker.

Nevertheless, there were also caesura in this regard. A shocking unveiling was the donation of the Christchurch assassin to the identities that the FPÖ loaded in 2019. A change of course was carried out under pressure; The then FPÖ chairman Heinz-Christian Strache emphasized that the FPÖ wanted to distance itself from the identities. However, despite this distancing, there are reports that in certain circles of the FPÖ there are still sympathy for the identities, which is underpinned by the statements of the current general secretary Michael Schnedlitz, who has already explained that one now wanted to be detached from this distance.

rosary and the reaction to the identities

Walter Rosenkranz, the new National Council President, has already triggered some controversy by describing the identities as "too far right" in an interview. Sellner, who did not torch for long before these comments, reacted sharply and described Rosenkranz ’distancing as" embarrassing and cowardly ". This shows how sensitive the relationships between these groups are and how quickly the political mood can change.

These developments throw a light on the continuing tensions between traditional political belonging and extremist tendencies within the FPÖ. At a time when political border shifts are common, it remains to be seen how the FPÖ and their connections to these fraternities will develop.

The topic remains explosive and important for the political landscape in Austria. A comprehensive consideration of these interdependencies can be found on the page www.kleine newspaper.at