A kiss with consequences

German “Bild” finds FPÖ’s subject “most disgusting”

Aggressive poster campaign: FPÖ EU top candidate Harald Vilimsky(Bild: APA/Robert Jäger)

The FPÖ has already won one election. Namely the most disgusting subject in this EU election campaign.

In its video series "Backstage European Elections", the German newspaper "Bild" named the Freedom Party's poster literally the "most disgusting" or "nastiest" poster in the run-up to the European vote on Sunday.

"Trail of slime to Moscow"
Presenter Albert Link commented on this with little squeamishness: "Remember, this is the right-wing party whose leader H.-C. Strache had to resign after the infamous Ibiza video. It is also the party that has been cooperating with the United Russia party for years. Now it turns out: the trail of slime to Moscow is still fresh."

Watch the Bild video here.

CDU MEP Dennis Radtke is also quoted: "The FPÖ is Putin's voice in Austria."

The "Bild" newspaper is obviously horrified.(Bild: Screenshot/bild.de)

As reported, the Ukrainian ambassador in Vienna had already expressed his outrage at the blue poster.

It was a mockery of the Ukrainian people and a strategy that "manipulates and distorts the reason and nature of the war", according to Kiev's embassy.

Purpose fulfilled: The FPÖ poster caused a stir far beyond Austria's borders.(Bild: APA/Robert Jäger)

"Warmongering" - but not by Putin
The poster shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky kissing EU President Ursula von der Leyen. The two are indirectly accused of "warmongering" - a popular spin of the Freedom Party, which likes to blame everyone other than Vladimir Putin himself for Putin's war of aggression.

Meanwhile, the FPÖ continues to surf the wave of success, leading in all polls for both the National Council elections and the EU elections, where a blue triumphal procession is expected. The verdict of the "Bild" newspaper will not change this - and neither will the stink bombs that drowned out the blue election campaign on Friday evening.

FPÖ: No room for journalists
And neither did the Association of Foreign Press in Vienna, which had already complained about the exclusion of foreign journalists from the FPÖ election party on Sunday. The FPÖ referred to the limited space available.