12-20-2016, 03:44 PM
(12-20-2016, 03:32 PM)hollodero Wrote: First off, I tend to agree with the thread's initial standpoint (up to a point).
Well, you don't really know our freedom party FPÖ, obviously. And you're somehow right, we have a Verbotsgesetz, wherein it's forbidden to openly commit to National Socialism, the NSDAP or deny the holocaust and all that. But the freedom party sure does walk the line here. Just as an example, the currently defeated presidential candidate (and colleagues) walked into the parliament with a blue flower - a former Nazi symbol. And sure they claim that's a huge coincidence and they never intended and bla, but what it really is is some kind of flirtation. There are several similar incidents, like FPÖ politicians quoting SA slogans ("I did not know it was a Nazi slogan"); the former head once said that the Third Reich had a decent job policy, and so on and so on...
...and the party's founders back in '45 indeed were former Nazis (and some allegedly other folk). So well, there is more truth to the words in the article than you might assume.
I'm glad you decided to post in this thread as you, obviously, have a front seat view on this story. I'm actually fairly familiar with the politics involved, I know more about world and national events than local ones. I am aware of the "flirtations" as you put and I believe that is an apt description. However, the headline states "ex-Nazi party", this is factually incorrect. Party founded by ex-Nazi would be, but they, deliberately IMO, did not say that and instead went with the inflammatory, and wholly inaccurate, headline on display.
As someone in Austria you can confirm that this is a major political party in the country and that meeting with them is not, even remotely, analogous to meeting with the Klan or white power Nazi's. The article certainly tries to steer the reader's opinion in that direction. To use an example that more are familiar with, would you consider them to the left or right of Front National, or about the same? My opinion would be that they are very similar.
