Austria
Reports on Austria See all →
Austria and Visegrad: Interests converge in Central Europe
The Visegrad Group, consisting of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, initially had little political significance. But with pressure from EU institutions and other member states increasing, the forum has grown in significance. And though it originally wanted to exclude Austria, recently Vienna has found much in common with the group. What does the future hold for this strengthening partnership?
Central Europe is not less European or less democratic
Parties unfairly labeled “euroskeptic” and “populist” have won elections in Austria and the Czech Republic. But they only want to preserve sovereignty and regional diversity. Western Europe likes to look down on Central Europe as nationalist and backward, but the real political problems in Europe stem from established parties’ headlong ...
A Europe of regions will be essential for the union’s future
At this historic juncture, leaders of the European Union should awaken to the fact that Europe’s strength has always been its common cultural heritage and its diversity. The way out of the EU’s current bind is through expanding regional cooperation and replacing centralistic, market-strangling regulations with robust, friendly competition.
Democracy by fear
To the European political establishment’s great relief, Norbert Hofer barely lost the Austrian presidential election. However, most of the people who voted for the winner, Dr. Alexander van der Bellen, were likely motivated by the campaign of fear against Mr. Hofer. The trend of “democracy by fear” in Europe reveals ...
