Afd man should talk

Hotel cancels party of FPÖ-affiliated fraternity

Vienna FPÖ leader Dominik Nepp at the Academics Ball 2023 with the colors of the fraternity Aldania(Bild: APA/FOTO SULZER)

The AfD is a suspected case of right-wing extremism for the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution, but politician Matthias Helferich is too extreme for many there, and party expulsion proceedings are underway against him. Despite this, he was due to give a speech at a party organized by the FPÖ-affiliated fraternity Aldania in a Viennese hotel. After clear criticism, the hotel has now canceled the event.

The Arcotel hotel group stated on Instagram that it "clearly and resolutely distances itself from right-wing extremism". It responded in a comment to a post by the "Group for Organized Anti-Fascism - Vienna", which had called on the hotel to "cancel the right-wing networking meeting". The group had called on people to contact the hotel directly to put pressure on it to cancel the fraternity festival.

Booking request "not entirely transparent"
The hotel group explained that it had "naturally canceled" the party after thoroughly examining the "not entirely transparent booking request". In future, none of the eleven hotels it operates in Germany and Austria will allow events with a "suspected right-wing extremist character". The "Standard" first reported on the cancellation.

The Instagram post by the Viennese Antifa group:

According to the "Stoppt die Rechten" initiative, AfD politician Matthias Helferich was due to give a speech at the 130th foundation festival of the Aldania fraternity. Helferich is also controversial within his own party: he is said to have described himself in chats as "the friendly face of National Socialism". The state association of North Rhine-Westphalia is currently conducting the second expulsion proceedings against him after the first failed.

Considered a house fraternity of the FPÖ
The Aldania fraternity is considered the house fraternity of the FPÖ. In addition to the Viennese party chairman Dominik Nepp, club chairman Maximilian Krauss and National Bank director Eduard Schock are also members. The FPÖ did not wish to comment on Helferich's appearance on Tuesday when asked by APA.

The Greens had expressed their horror at Helferich's planned appearance at the fraternity party. The fact that a man was invited there who was even too far-right for the far-right AfD showed the "ugly face" that hides behind the FPÖ, criticized club leader Sigrid Maurer.

Statement demanded from Kickl
In a press release, SPÖ Federal Managing Director Klaus Seltenheim spoke of a "sad climax" to the FPÖ's unbroken support for the AfD. He called on FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl to take a stand on the fact that his party friends were "inviting a Nazi to their party". The latest revelation shows once again that a vote for the FPÖ is a vote for a shift to the right and the dismantling of democracy and the welfare state, warned Seltenheim.