Gone are the days when EU leaders, confident in the need to uphold the bloc’s centrist values against extreme positions, sanctioned Austria in the year 2000, or opened Article 7 proceedings against Poland in 2017, deploying Europe’s “nuclear” legal weapon against a member country accused of flouting its rules.
Now, the toughest protest that Kickl might face if he wins the chancellorship and joins leaders at an upcoming gathering in Brussels is some awkward body language and an unsmiling reception.
“Will they smile when they are photographed with him? Probably not. But that [degree of protest] will be the extent of it,” said the EU diplomat, who like others in this piece was granted anonymity to talk about matters they cannot discuss publicly.
The likely acceptance of the far-right Freedom Party into the fold — coalition talks between Kickl and the center-right Austrian People’s Party are ongoing in Vienna — marks the demise of Europe’s famed cordon sanitaire, the firewall that has kept right-wing populists out of power for decades across the continent.
On Monday, Austria’s interim chancellor, Alexander Schallenberg, made a last-minute trip to Brussels to reassure partners about Austria’s future, telling Brussels Playbook: “Austria is and will remain a reliable, constructive and strong partner in the European Union and around the world.”
Despite concerns about the direction of Austrian policy under Kickl, two EU diplomats who were granted anonymity to speculate about diplomatic consequences said it was unlikely that leaders would lodge any sort of formal protest against Austria if he becomes chancellor.
Source: Politico – read full article
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