European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he will work with Austria’s new government, with its far right junior coalition partner, just as he has been cooperating with the government of Alexis Tsipras, with its own far right junior coalition partner, Panos Kammenos’ Independent Greeks party.
The remarks came after Juncker met with incoming Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who hastened to Brussels to assure EU leaders, including Council President Donald Tusk, that Austria will remain on course in its relations with the EU.
Extreme right but pro-EU fine with Juncker
Asked how he will cooperate with the far rightists in the new government, Juncker invoked the Greek precedent.
«So we’ll work with all the Austrian ministers, as I am working also with the extreme-right coalition partner of Mr. Tsipras, as I was working with the extreme right parties in Bulgaria and Slovenia so why are we making a whole thing out of Austria, whereas we like it to be partially blind when it comes to other countries. This is a pro-European government, and that’s it,» Juncker declared.
Effectively, the EU executive is declaring that it is all right to be an extreme rightist in power, as long as you are pro EU.
