Austrian flag. Photo: FWM
Austria: ‘FPÖ has to go back to its core values’
In an exclusive interview with FWM, the Austrian journalist and media consultant Stefan Magnet elaborated on Austria's national elections and the losses of the FPÖ.
Published: October 1, 2019, 9:11 am
Mr. Magnet, the FPÖ suffered huge losses in the recent national elections in Austria. What are the reasons: The so-called “Ibiza scandal”, suspicions that former party leader Heinz-Christian Strache allegedly embezzled party funds – or are there additional reasons?
Stefan Magnet. FWM
Magnet: Of course the scandals about the supposed graft scheme which were covered in all the media outlets right before the elections played a big role in this bad result. The FPÖ has not managed to keep intact their image of an “anti-establishment-party”.
The media campaign against the FPÖ was working on steroids: Mainstream media ignored the scandals of the other parties while attacking the Freedom Party in full force. It is not just Strache who loved the luxury life at the expense of his party, it is very common also in other Austrian parties. But this is the point: The FPÖ is not a “common” party, they are challenging exactly that type of system. A lot of former voters of the FPÖ were disappointed precisely because of that.
Former party leader Strache is made to be the scapegoat for the losses of the FPÖ by some party officials and Austrian media. Is that a realistic analysis?
Magnet: To blame one single person for a loss of ten percent in the election would be wrong. And we should be very careful not to do so. Until now Strache has rejected all accusations of abusing party money for personal expenses. So we have to wait until we get the true facts on the table. If the accusations are reasonable, then the party and Strache will have to face the consequences. But we shouldn’t forget: With former party leader Jörg Haider too, the media was always busy spreading corruption rumors which turned out to be false in the end. Unfortunately this [kind of] media strategy is often very successful.
Why?
Magnet: If an anti globalist political party presents itself as an opponent to the recent political system – then this party may not become a part of that system. The electorate doesn’t forgive hypocrisies.
Recent party leader Norbert Hofer represents a moderate political line of the FPÖ. The former very popular inner minister Herbert Kickl stands for a more rightwing populist course. Was the bad election result also a sign that the electorate wants a more rightwing populist FPÖ?
Magnet: I think that the “double top” Hofer and Kickl was a good strategy. Hofer appealed to the more moderate electorate while Kickl addressed the core electorate of the FPÖ. We shouldn’t ignore that until two weeks before the elections the FPÖ reached more than 20 percent in all polls. After the media campaign started, it changed for the worse. Even Austrian media, which were neutral or positive towards the FPÖ in the past, were all of the sudden joining this campaign. So I don’t agree that the bad election result has to do with the leadership, but with the massive media campaign against the party and the lack of time to react against this campaign appropriately.
Does the FPÖ need a sort of “renewal” as many party officials have said after the elections?
Magnet: Let me say it like that: Those who don’t see the absolute necessity for change after such a loss does not understand what really happened.
What could such a “renewal” entail?
Magnet: One day after the elections we can already say: The party has to think about its relationship with the media. It is strongly recommended that the FPÖ invest more energy in building up their own media, especially also in the social media sphere.
It is naïve to believe that the mainstream media would one day change its stance towards the party. The events of the last days and weeks should be a painful reminder for everyone who believed that the mainstream media would be fair with the FPÖ.
There is the need to build up their own media and to support alternative media. Only with such a media strategy will the FPÖ be capable in future to react against such mud-slinging campaigns.
Another important point is of an ideological nature: The party has to remember its own core values and communicate these values. Apart from the important topic of migration, the anti-globalist line is also an important core value. And the FPÖ is of course an anti-establishment party. And exactly this means not being as corrupt as the mainstream parties in Austria.
All rights reserved. You have permission to quote freely from the articles provided that the source (www.freewestmedia.com) is given. Photos may not be used without our consent.
Consider donating to support our work
Help us to produce more articles like this. FreeWestMedia is depending on donations from our readers to keep going. With your help, we expose the mainstream fake news agenda.
Keep your language polite. Readers from many different countries visit and contribute to Free West Media and we must therefore obey the rules in, for example, Germany. Illegal content will be deleted.
If you have been approved to post comments without preview from FWM, you are responsible for violations of any law. This means that FWM may be forced to cooperate with authorities in a possible crime investigation.
If your comments are subject to preview by FWM, please be patient. We continually review comments but depending on the time of day it can take up to several hours before your comment is reviewed.
We reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, contain slander or foul language, or are irrelevant to the discussion.
Europe
New App Helps Locate Sweden’s Historic Runestones
A new app called Swedish Runestones will help locate historical gems.
Swedish military wants to remilitarize the Åland Islands
The demilitarized autonomy has previously been known as 'the islands of peace.
NOAA Predicts Zero Sunspots for Almost the Whole 2030s
CLIMATEThe United States' government scientific organization, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), predicts zero sunspots from 2031 to 2040. This is an extreme situation that has not occurred in as long as humanity has been counting sunspots, and it leads us into uncharted territory in terms of our solar system. However, this prediction aligns with the warnings of the world-renowned solar researcher Valentina Zharkova for many years, who indicated in 2019 various signs of this catastrophic phenomenon, including the extreme hailstorms we have seen in Europe and the world this summer. The forecast and various observations this year give cause for very significant concern. In this unique analysis, Free West Media explains why.
European Nationalist Parties Forge Cooperation Ahead of EU Elections
EUROPEAN ELECTIONSOn Saturday, August 26, representatives of six European nationalist parties gathered in Budapest. The meeting was initiated by the Hungarian party Mi Hazánk and took place in the national parliament. Representatives of the parties signed a joint declaration that not only reaffirms the parties' friendship but also their unity on a range of complex political issues. A surprisingly clear and radical manifesto was established. The hope is that this cooperation will lead to success in the EU elections and eventually result in the formation of a group in the European Parliament. For Swedish nationalism, this meeting marks a success as Sweden, for the first time, has a party represented in a leading nationalist cooperation in Europe. Free West Media was present at this historic event.
Turkey Believes Sweden Hasn’t Done Enough
Sweden will have to wait a bit longer for NATO membership, according to Turkey's Justice Minister Jilmaz Tunc. First, Sweden must extradite the "terrorists" Turkey wants and stop the desecration of the Quran.
Swedish Weapon Takes Down Russia’s Best Attack Helicopter
The Russian attack helicopter Ka-52 is considered one of the world's best and has struck fear in Ukraine, where it has hunted down tanks and other armored vehicles, often beyond the range of many light anti-aircraft systems. However, it has met its match in the Swedish air defense missile system RBS 70, which has quickly led to significant losses for the Russian helicopter forces.
The Sun Drives Earth’s Climate, Not Carbon Dioxide
Top Researchers Push Back Against Climate Lies."The correlation is as clear as day," explained the Israeli astrophysicist Nir Shaviv, who was hailed by the establishment, before his interview with Forbes was hastily deleted. What he says contradicts the climate narrative, which points to humans as responsible for Earth's climate. Shaviv firmly asserts that it is the sun that controls the climate, something that can be scientifically proven in many ways. Contrary to the popular belief, the sun's influence on Earth has, in recent years, caused unusually cold and rainy weather, a trend that solar researchers warn will worsen significantly in the coming decades. The sun has exhibited an unusually low activity since 2016, during Solar Cycle 24, which was the weakest in a century.
Strong Confidence in German AfD
Alternative for Germany (AfD) held a party conference on July 29-30 to select candidates for the upcoming EU election next year. EU Parliament member Maximilian Krah, belonging to the party's more radical, ethnonationalist faction, was appointed as the top candidate. The party's two spokespersons delivered powerful speeches criticizing the EU's failed migration policy and trade sanctions that isolate Europe and Germany from the rest of the world. They argued that it's time for the EU to return a significant portion of its power to national parliaments. However, they have dropped the demand for Germany to exit the EU.
The Establishment Wants to Ban Germany’s Second Largest Party – for the Sake of Democracy
The rising popularity of AfD has raised strong concerns within the establishment. Despite lies and demonization in the media and isolation from the overall political establishment, the party continues to grow. Certain representatives of the party are accused of becoming increasingly "extreme," and in an unusual move, the influential weekly newspaper Der Spiegel demanded that AfD be "banned."
Dutch FvD break through the media blockade
What is happening in the Netherlands? It is often difficult to follow events in other countries, especially when distorted by system media. We give Forum for Democracy (FvD) the opportunity to speak out on the political situation in the Netherlands and the staunch resistance they face in trying to save the country.
No comments.
By submitting a comment you grant Free West Media a perpetual license to reproduce your words and name/web site in attribution. Inappropriate and irrelevant comments will be removed at an admin’s discretion. Your email is used for verification purposes only, it will never be shared.