The Platform Democracy Austria, a non-partisan civil society initiative, presented its latest campaign for the National Council election at a media event today. Represented by its two board members Mag. Robert Luschnik and Dr. Ernst Gideon Loudon previously emphasized that the platform wanted to show the “problematic background of the term People’s Chancellor” through its “active educational work”.
“Normalizing right-wing extremist and anti-democratic terms is a highly worrying precursor to right-wing extremist and anti-democratic acts,” said Luschnik. In this context, he referred to a dossier “on the term People’s Chancellor and the ideology behind it”, which is available at https://www.demokratie-oesterreich.at/ is publicly available.
Mobile video wall with “Three questions for Kickl”
The reference to the burdened history of this term should in no way be understood as an equation of Kickl with Hitler, emphasized Luschnik, but rather the voters “simply have the right to find out before the election why Herbert Kickl uses this term.” This discussion was “more than overdue a few weeks before the National Council election,” added Loudon.
In order to call for this debate and to expand on its previous activities, the platform presented “three questions for Herbert Kickl”, which it will “from now on” circulate online and with the help of a mobile video wall – presented on site. The mobile video wall will appear in a wide variety of locations in Austria “until Herbert Kickl answers these questions,” says Loudon. The three questions in verbatim:
- What is this language about, Mr. Kickl? Why do you consciously use a historically charged term like “People’s Chancellor” in your election campaign, which inevitably evokes associations with the Nazi era?
- Where is your distinction from the Identitarians, Mr. Kickl? Why did you describe a right-wing extremist group like the Identitarians, whose symbol is banned in Austria, as “worthy of support” and never distance yourself from their ideas?
- Why the Bible, Mr. Kickl? When will you stop using Bible quotes for your election campaign?
“Let’s not silence us”
This action is “our clear response to the FPÖ’s attempts at intimidation,” said Luschnik and Loudon in unison: “We will not allow ourselves to be silenced by lawsuits and false allegations.” We are looking forward to the legal dispute with the FPÖ very calmly: “Even Mr. Kickl cannot dismiss the historical facts. His delaying tactics show that he fears a court decision before the election,” explained Luschnik, pointing out that the FPÖ had not applied for an injunction against the educational work of the Democracy Austria Platform.
Finally, the platform called for support through donations in order to be able to continue its educational work until the election: “How extensively we can carry out our campaigns and how often our mobile video wall will be used also depends on the further donations received,” said Luschnik . Donations can be made online at https://www.demokratie-oesterreich.at/spenden/ possible at any time.
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