Finding back to strength

Kogler warns of the end of the EU in ten years’ time

Green Party leader Werner Kogler(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

If the European Union does not regain its strength, it will "no longer exist at all in ten or twenty years", warned Green Party leader Werner Kogler on Wednesday. The new defense package of 800 million was "clever".

Countries such as Russia were "reaching into their coffers to the point of rattling" in terms of defense policy, he said. The EU must therefore also "get into the closet and pull out the best piece". 

Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) signaled in the National Council committee that he would be open to additional EU defence spending. "However, we reject new borrowing," said the head of government. "Austria supports the initiatives in principle, of course always on the basis of the constitutional framework".

Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP), Minister for European Affairs, also said that Austria was militarily neutral, but "never politically". Both she and Stocker were confident that the special EU summit on Thursday would bring an agreement despite the announced resistance from Hungary.

From left: Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler, Chancellor Christian Stocker and Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

Minister for Europe Claudia Plakolm(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Meinl-Reisinger: "We cannot outsource security"
Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS) criticized the foreign policy course of US President Donald Trump. "We have learned that we cannot outsource security to Washington, any more than we can outsource energy supplies to Russia or supply chains to Beijing." Stocker, in turn, welcomed Trump's efforts to bring about peace in Ukraine. "But we must be careful not to pursue short-term goals at the expense of long-term stability".

We must be careful not to pursue short-term goals at the expense of long-term stability.

Kanzler Christian Stocker

FPÖ against further military aid for Ukraine
"It is in our interest that we do not have a dictated peace in Ukraine that only gives Putin time to regroup his troops," said Meinl-Reisinger. FPÖ MEP Susanne Fürst tabled a motion to oblige Stocker not to agree to any conclusions at the EU summit that would provide billions in further military aid for Ukraine. However, the motion was rejected with the votes of the four other parties.

Stocker and Meinl-Reisinger will be attending the EU summit on Thursday from Austria. Vice-Chancellor and SPÖ leader Andreas Babler is expected to attend the meeting of social democratic heads of state and government and party leaders in Brussels.