Paneuropa Movement Austria reorganises

General Assembly: Karl von Habsburg hands over office to Rainhard Kloucek. Paneuropa reaffirms clear position on the fundamental principles of a united Europe and renews call for a European geo- and security policy.

Vienna/Salzburg. The 2024 General Assembly of the Paneuropa Movement Austria, the oldest European unification movement with 102 years of tradition and history, brought a change at the top of the organisation: Rainhard Kloucek succeeds the previous President Karl von Habsburg in office, and is reorganising the organisation with his newly elected board.

Rainhard Kloucek, previously Secretary General of the organisation, was unanimously elected as the new President. Stefan Haböck was confirmed as Vice-President, and Polina Vekova was newly elected as Vice-President.

The following were also elected to the Presidium: Philipp Jauernik (confirmed), Dominik Oberhofer (new), Ludwig Draxler (confirmed), Norbert Hainitz (new), and Maximilian Schmid (Chairman of Paneuropa Youth), as well as Charles Steiner (confirmed).

Karl von Habsburg, who had headed the organisation since 1986 and led Paneuropa Austria through formative times such as the fall of the Iron Curtain, Austria’s accession to the EU, and the eastward expansion, was appointed the first Honorary President.

With a position paper on the European elections, Paneuropa Austria also reaffirms its clear positions:

• A genuine common European foreign and security policy
• An active enlargement policy for the Western Balkan states as well as Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia
• Extensive support for Ukraine in its struggle for freedom and the restoration of its full territorial sovereignty
• The EU must become a serious geopolitical player. This means moving away from the non-transparent bilateral deals of some EU states with regimes towards a common EU geopolitics to safeguard pan-European interests
• Abolition of internal borders in the Schengen area while implementing genuine European external border protection
• Less centralism and nationalism through respect for the fundamental European principle of subsidiarity
• Reduction of excessive bureaucracy and regulation, strengthening of market economy principles, implementation of existing and expansion of new EU free trade agreements to strengthen the European economy

For the upcoming elections to the European Parliament, Paneuropa calls for strong participation. Paneuropa does not issue voting recommendations for parties; instead, it will support individual candidates who represent pan-European principles.

The pan-European position paper on the EU elections can be found here!

Quotes:

Rainhard Kloucek, President: “Europe must finally develop its foreign and security policy identity and show strength and determination in EU enlargement policy. In terms of economic policy, we need more trade agreements instead of a supply chain law and other bureaucratic monsters.”

Karl von Habsburg, Honorary President: “The attack on Ukraine is not a war between states, but an attack on our Western model of life. Russia, China, and other regimes have completely different ideas of freedom, the rule of law, property, and human rights. Do we want to be free Europeans or vassals of cruel regimes?”

Stefan Haböck, Vice-President: “Subsidiarity as a fundamental principle must be lived more strongly. It is understood as a political principle (often incorrectly at that), yet it is a social principle. Political levels must act subsidiarily, but citizens must also demand this!”

Photo: (from left to right) Vice-President Stefan Haböck, Honorary President Karl von Habsburg, President Rainhard Kloucek.