Speakers urge strong political centre to counter populists

Speakers at Tirol Day in Alpbach called for a strong political centre, shared values and empowered regions while warning against populist and anti-European forces, ORF reported. The event on Sunday marked the halfway point of this year’s European Forum Alpbach.

South Tyrol Governor Arno Kompatscher of the South Tyrolean People’s Party warned of “anti-European forces” and populists who would “mislead the people” ahead of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt. He said people were currently looking at Europe with concern, particularly the German state, where the Alternative for Germany is expected to make significant gains in the September 6 election.

Kompatscher said it would be too easy to speak only of lies and manipulation. Many people in Europe were insecure, he said, pointing to inequality, injustice and “predatory capitalism”. Global technology companies had in some cases become more powerful than the political leaders of states and regions.

Europe needed to counter this with its market power, Kompatscher said. If this year’s forum motto was “How Europe wins”, his answer was: “Europe wins with its values.”

Tyrol Governor Anton Mattle of the Austrian People’s Party said climate change, globalisation and other major changes had created new challenges requiring cross-border cooperation and solutions. He cited joint work in civil protection and disaster response, including a cross-border platform for avalanche commissions in the Euregio region. Heavy rainfall, drought and food supplies were also important issues for the region, he said.

“Europe wins with strong regions,” Mattle said, arguing that the European Union should focus on major issues while regions should handle everyday concerns. He said decisions on matters such as healthcare should be made locally rather than imposed from outside. Europe also had to defend democracy, the rule of law and freedom, he said, recalling the destruction left in Austria and Europe in 1945 at the end of the Second World War.

The speeches followed a traditional ceremony on Alpbach’s village square, attended by local rifle groups, a brass band and flag formations. Participants also heard the Tyrolean, Austrian and European anthems and observed a rifle salute and the distribution of schnapps. A Mass had been celebrated earlier at Alpbach parish church by Jean-Claude Hollerich, the Archbishop of Luxembourg.

Among those attending were Trentino Governor Maurizio Fugatti, EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner, Austrian Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig, Kata Tüttő, president of the European Committee of the Regions, and former EU commissioner Franz Fischler. The European Forum Alpbach began on August 24 and runs until September 4.