Douglas Hoyos, the general secretary of Austria’s New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS) party, says that “real democrats” should prevent a future government from holding a vote on the country’s European Union membership
He told Der Standard that parties that would consider such a vote “have no place in the next government.”
Christian Ebner, who campaigns for Austria to leave the EU (that is, for ‘Öxit’), responded that “anyone who is against a referendum … wants to deny the Austrians democratic self-determination.”
Hoyos’ comments were primarily aimed at the right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). The party, led by Herbert Kickl, has not officially called for a referendum but is said to be “flirting” with the idea. Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung said that the issue is still “too polarizing” for party officials to make a definite commitment.
But polling suggests that most voters believe Kickl does back Öxit. Only the Netherlands’ Geert Wilders is believed to have a greater appetite for leaving the Brussels bloc.
Hoyos hopes to nip any potential Öxit movement in the bud ahead of National Council elections this autumn. His party wants a written commitment from all the parliamentary groups to rule out a possible EU referendum, regardless of the makeup of the upcoming coalition.
Britain’s exit from the bloc has, according to Hoyos, shown what happens if “a thick wall of fire is not put up against the temptations of nationalist populism.”
NEOS believes that the risk of leaving the EU is so great for Austria, “whose population is one of the big winners,” that citizens should be denied the democratic right to make up their own minds. FPÖ has yet to make its response clear. The European Conservative has contacted the party for comment.
