The convincing winner of the last parliamentary elections in Austria, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), has once again given a Serb the chance to enter the Vienna Assembly.
Ilija Tufegdžić emphasizes that the FPÖ, often criticized as a right-wing party, has always given opportunities to candidates of foreign origin, especially Serbs. He stresses that the FPÖ has consistently raised its voice against injustices committed against Serbia, particularly in terms of violations of international law and its territorial integrity.
Tufegdžić also stated that his goal is to use his platform in Vienna to highlight everything being done to Serbia, Republika Srpska, and Serbs in Kosovo, and to draw attention to the lies used in the campaign against Serbia.
“The Freedom Party of Austria is unjustly accused by its political opponents of being against all foreigners in Austria, while the party has always given opportunities to candidates from the Serbian community,” said Tufegdžić, reminding that Serb Nemanja Damnjanović was once a member of the Vienna Assembly.
Tufegdžić pointed out that the FPÖ is a party that supports all communities that are integrated and contribute to Austria through their work and respect for values. He stated that the Serbian community is well-integrated and shares the same values promoted by the FPÖ.
“The FPÖ is a party that has always raised its voice against the injustice done to Serbia by violating its territorial integrity, and also during the bombing due to breaches of international law,” Tufegdžić noted ahead of the Vienna elections scheduled for April 27.
He stated that both Serbs and the FPÖ stand for the strict adherence to international law, because any violation leads to conflicts, as in the case of Ukraine, where Russia used the same excuses as NATO did in 1999, using that precedent.
“Other parties not only failed to give Serbs a chance to enter political institutions, but individuals from the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), as well as the Greens and NEOS, openly led campaigns against Serbia. Particularly notable is MEP Andreas Schieder from SPÖ, but also the new foreign minister, NEOS leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger, whose almost first decision was to ban Milorad Dodik from entering Austria,” Tufegdžić pointed out.
He reminded that Meinl-Reisinger, as well as MEP Helmut Brandstätter from NEOS, have stood out in the past with their baseless harsh criticism of Serbia, while all these parties have so far provided political opportunities to members of other Balkan and ethnic communities.
When asked what he would advocate for if he enters the Vienna Assembly, he answered that he primarily wants to fight for a better Vienna, where prosperity would be restored and all citizens would have the ability to live off their earnings.
“I will advocate for affordable housing and solving all other issues faced by all Viennese, including the Serbian community,” said Tufegdžić.
He especially emphasized that his goal is for Vienna to once again carry the title of a “safe city,” which, he claims, it lost due to the policies of Social Democratic mayor Michael Ludwig and his coalition partner from the NEOS party.
“In Vienna, we now have areas where it is no longer safe to walk at night. Every day there are clashes between various migrant clans, such as Syrians, Afghans, and Chechens, who came to Austria as a result of an open-arms policy toward economic migrants from regions that do not share the same values, people who do not want to integrate, let alone accept the Austrian way of life and values. The policy of reducing the number of police officers while simultaneously increasing the number of immigrants, to whom Vienna gives enormous financial support at the expense of its own citizens, has led to this situation,” Tufegdžić stated.
He said he wants to make the Serbian community more visible on Austria’s political scene.
“Although I am a Viennese politician, I will try from that level, as the FPÖ has done so far, to point out the injustices committed against Serbia, Republika Srpska, and Serbs in Kosovo, to expose all the lies used in the campaign against Serbia, whose independent policy does not fit into leftist obedience,” said Tufegdžić.
Speaking about why the Serbian community is not as politically active as others, like the Turkish one, he said that this inactivity and lack of voter turnout have completely shifted the focus of Austrian authorities and parties to other migrant communities. For this reason, the Serbian community needs to finally activate politically and show that it is, after Germans, the most numerous migrant community, which certainly wants and has the right to help shape its city alongside other Viennese and contribute to its proper development, with the goal of keeping Vienna at the top of the world list of cities with the highest quality of life.
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He reminded that the Serbian community has been part of Vienna for centuries and has always contributed to the city, as many great figures in Serbian history created and wrote their works in Vienna.
“All this is proof of the excellent historical relations, which must not be forgotten,” Tufegdžić said firmly.
He said he would also advocate for better connections between Vienna and Serbia and Republika Srpska, particularly their cities, as he is convinced it would be beneficial for Vienna and its municipalities to have partnership agreements with Serbian cities from which the largest number of Viennese of Serbian origin come.
Such partnerships, he added, would contribute to the development of Serbian cities, which are regularly visited during holidays by Viennese of Serbian origin.
“I want to be the representative of Viennese people of Serbian origin, to be their voice. Everyone will be able to reach me and share the problems they face, and I will try to resolve and raise those issues in the appropriate bodies. I also want to support Serbian associations in preserving tradition and culture, because the diversity of cultures is the wealth of Vienna,” Tufegdžić concluded.
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Source: B92, Foto: Printscreen YouTube / Kosovo Online