Bitschi denies FPÖ Vorarlberg contacts with Identitarian movement

FPÖ Vorarlberg leader Christof Bitschi said the party has no contact with the far-right Identitarian movement, ORF Vorarlberg reported. Speaking in an ORF summer interview in Koblach, he also said he did not check party members’ affiliations with organisations as long as they complied with the law.

Asked about reports of links between the Young FPÖ and the Identitarian movement, Bitschi said there were no such contacts in Vorarlberg. He said the issue was receiving media attention but was, in reality, relatively unimportant to the public.

Bitschi said the party did not investigate which organisations prospective members belonged to, but instead checked whether they had a clean record and obeyed Austrian laws. He said this applied to all organisations, adding that members involved with Greenpeace or other groups were welcome in the FPÖ Vorarlberg.

Bitschi says FPÖ is more united than ever

Bitschi attributed the FPÖ’s success to what he called a clear political line, saying the party was currently polling above 40 percent at national level and was successful in the state branches. He said the party would not be influenced by media debates.

Responding to questions about whether his previously outspoken criticism of federal FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl had become quieter, Bitschi said he placed little value on such analyses. He rejected the impression that there had been a break within the party, saying the FPÖ was more united than ever.

Bitschi calls asylum protection temporary

Bitschi said falling asylum figures were not the result of European or Austrian measures, but of refugee flows having declined somewhat. He said Austria was probably just as well prepared now as it had been in 2015 and 2016.

He criticised what he called a complete conflation of asylum and immigration, which he said was also visible in rising naturalisation figures. In his view, asylum should not lead to citizenship: it was temporary protection, and people should return to their country of origin when that protection was no longer urgently needed. He said this should also apply after ten years and successful integration.

At the same time, Bitschi said immigrants had an obligation to adapt, integrate and learn German, as set out in the Vorarlberg Code.

Expansion of weapons ban zone under review

On security, Bitschi referred to Dornbirn railway station, saying young women and parents felt unsafe there. He said the weapons ban zone had proved effective and that extending it to other public places was being considered.

Transport fares to be reviewed

Bitschi acknowledged technical problems with the public transport fare reform introduced at the start of summer. In some cases, booking a journey in separate sections was cheaper than buying a through ticket. He said this was unacceptable and would be corrected. The reform is due to be evaluated by the end of the year.

Bitschi defended the change, saying Vorarlberg invests more than 50 million euros a year in public transport and that its quality ranks second in Austria behind Vienna. He said the annual pass was the cheapest in Austria and remained unchanged for about 92,000 users, while occasional journeys had become more expensive.

Social spending increases slowed

The interview in Koblach followed questions from local residents about cuts in social services, care and childcare. The final audience question asked whether too much was being cut from support for people with mental illnesses.

Bitschi rejected the description of a sweeping programme of cuts. He said more than 70 percent of the state budget went to social services and healthcare, where spending was still increasing. The government had not made overall cuts, he said, but had slowed the rate of increases.

He said the increases in the Social Fund had been far above the index rate and were no longer financially sustainable for the state and municipalities. He also rejected the accusation that the state was prioritising road construction.