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The designated FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl
Photo: Martin Juen / imago images / SEPA.Media
Herbert Kickl, the future head of the Austrian FPÖ, described approaches of the right-wing extremist Identitarian Movement as "interesting and worthy of support".
The organization has been observed by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution for several years.
Kickl told the broadcaster Puls 24 that there were content overlaps with the right-wing populist FPÖ.
The movement is something of a right-wing non-governmental organization. "A real NGO that deserves this name because it doesn't get any money from the state," said Kickl. The 52-year-old was unanimously nominated by the party presidium on Monday as the successor to the previous FPÖ boss Norbert Hofer. The decision is to be approved by a federal party conference on June 19.
In his tribute to the Identitarian Movement, Kickl particularly highlighted the Identitarians' campaign against the 2018 UN migration pact and called it an "example of an interesting political project worth supporting".
As early as 2013, the Austrian Office for the Protection of the Constitution described the movement as “a kind of reservoir for activists from different areas who have affinities with right-wing extremism” and is observing them.
In Germany, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the movement as "definitely right-wing extremist" since 2019.
EU and constitution minister Karoline Edtstadler from the conservative ÖVP was appalled.
"The course of the FPÖ under Herbert Kickl is becoming more radical," she told the APA news agency.
Long-time chief thinker of the right-wing populists
Kickl is considered the long-term chief thinker of the right-wing populists.
He already played an important role under ex-party leader Heinz-Christian Strache.
In addition to an anti-migration course, criticism of the corona measures was his main topic recently.
He is one of the sharpest critics of Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP).
The FPÖ has been in opposition since its coalition with the ÖVP collapsed two years ago in the wake of the Ibiza scandal and the associated corruption allegations.
It is currently between 15 and 20 percent in the polls.
Kickl was Minister of the Interior from 2017 to 2019.
At that time there was a controversial raid on the Austrian Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
The house search was supposed to uncover maladministration, but the action damaged the trust of foreign partner services.
lukewarm / dpa