Demonstration in Vienna

Ukrainian activists mobilize against the FPÖ

With the FPÖ's election victory and the possibility of the Blue Party joining the government, the Thursday demonstrations, which last took place in 2018/19, are returning. The first event will take place in Vienna on October 3 under the motto "FIX ZAM against the right!". On Tuesday evening, Ukrainian activists held a small protest rally in front of the Hofburg and the Federal Chancellery.

Around 50 Ukrainians chanted "No coalition with the FPÖ!" and "Better the SPÖ than the FPÖ!". Representatives of the Ukrainian embassy in Austria were not present. 

"Real chancellor instead of people's chancellor"
"There is no future for Austria and a peaceful and free Europe in a coalition with the FPÖ," said activist Mychajlo Karioti from the Ukrainian association "Mrija" ("Dream", note), who led the demonstration from Stephansplatz to Heldenplatz on Ballhausplatz in front of the Federal Chancellery. He called on Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) to form a coalition with democratic and pro-European forces. There should be no "FPÖ people's chancellor", but a "real chancellor" who would also defend Austria's independence from "Moscow and Putin". 

Below you can see the call for the rally posted on Facebook:

Karioti also addressed Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen with similar demands and at the same time lamented the electoral success of the FPÖ. Many voters of this party would rather have thought of free beer, free knife sharpening or five kilos of potatoes, he said. He implicitly reminded his fellow countrymen of past Ukrainian election campaigns, in which small gifts of food in particular were used to attract votes from socially disadvantaged groups. 

"This pro-Putin party can only sell Austria to Putin," he declared in German. Another activist spoke in Ukrainian about the fear that Austria could turn into another Slovakia or another Hungary. 

Poster campaign against Kickl
Ukrainian activists had already spoken out clearly against the FPÖ during the election campaign. Last week, "Mrija" disseminated a photomontage of an election campaign poster for FPÖ top candidate Herbert Kickl on social networks, which featured the slogan "Putin's will be done" instead of "Your will be done".