The Blue Fear

The FPÖ cannot be curbed by letting them dictate the agenda. A commentary by Rainhard Kloucek

It was a few years ago. Ukraine requested support with mine-clearing equipment. The request also went to Austria. The ‘blue’ leader cried out: Neutrality, we cannot send soldiers to Ukraine. The Minister of Defense seconded this. Under no circumstances can we send soldiers to Ukraine.

But there was no mention of soldiers. It was about mine-clearing equipment. However, this example beautifully illustrates how populism works. A problem is created (soldiers from neutral Austria in Ukraine) that doesn’t even exist (no one demanded soldiers), and an answer is immediately presented (do not send soldiers) that has nothing to do with the actual question (mine-clearing equipment).

Out of pure fear of ‘blue’ populism, one adopts their brazen distortion of facts.

Now, European Affairs Minister Claudia Bauer has eagerly fallen into this trap. She criticizes that the Ukrainian President wants to dictate his country’s accession date to the EU. But under no circumstances will there be a turbo-EU accession for Ukraine. The minister skillfully uses a killer argument, namely agricultural policy.

Neither has the Ukrainian President attempted to dictate his country’s accession date to the EU, nor are there any genuine efforts anywhere for an accelerated accession of Ukraine to the EU. Their agricultural policy needs reform anyway.

As expected, the minister’s statements were picked up by Moscow’s propaganda and are being celebrated here by Putin’s friends in politics and the media. Immediately, internal opposition to the coalition partner in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is being built up. Division and polarization are the goals.

If there are PR strategists in the Federal Chancellery (to which the Ministry for European Affairs belongs) who believe that such populist statements can take the wind out of the sails of Putin’s ‘blue’ friends, they should be dismissed. Populism is not fought with cheap copies, but with fact-based arguments and actions.

c Featured image: EU 2019 Mauro Bottaro