A - Austria

The latest poll results are in

Sebastian Kurz is absolutely crushing the competition. 👍

Carol Newman2 said:

The latest poll results are in

Sebastian Kurz is absolutely crushing the competition. 👍

Hmm, I get the feeling you might be voting for Sebastian Kurz or the Republican Party, maybe because you're rooting for him? Didn't you vote for the Republican Party before?

Nathan Morris3 said:Hmm, I get the feeling you might be voting for Sebastian Kurz or the Republican Party, maybe because you're rooting for him? Didn't you vote for the Republican Party before?

Look, I'm not Austrian. If I were, there's no way I would have ever voted for the FPOE.

I've watched several of Sebastian Kurz's appearances on American and German talk shows, and honestly, in the German-speaking world, he doesn't have any real competition.

I am genuinely curious if the Republican Party will actually agree to his terms. If they pass those internal reforms, Kurz is going to have total freedom when it comes to picking ministers. Besides, his plan is to run on an independent ticket in the parliamentary elections with the Republican Party backing him.

Carol Newman2 said:Look, I'm not Austrian. If I were, there's no way I would have ever voted for the FPOE.

I've watched several of Sebastian Kurz's appearances on American and German talk shows, and honestly, in the German-speaking world, he doesn't have any real competition.

I am genuinely curious if the Republican Party will actually agree to his terms. If they pass those internal reforms, Kurz is going to have total freedom when it comes to picking ministers. Besides, his plan is to run on an independent ticket in the parliamentary elections with the Republican Party backing him.

Hmm, well, I don't know if it feels all that sophisticated to me or to others who are actually Austrian—people who live here, vote here, pay taxes here, and deal with the fallout of every single election while watching both Christian Kern and Sebastian Kurz every day... having someone from America try to lecture us on who is who.

If we were talking about Brexit or Marine Le Pen, I might see the connection, but I think you might be overestimating how much Sebastian Kurz actually affects America or Europe. We've had guys like Michael Grasser before—those "young, ambitious, and energetic" politicians who can't quite control their own ambition, so it just turns into populism and chaos. I noticed he's starting to push ideological stuff, like banning head coverings and things like that, which honestly feels like a red flag for populism rather than the kind of leadership I'd look for. But I guess the masses fall for it, emotions and all, and there's your 35% of the vote. It's not like we haven't seen this before. Usually, there isn't much substance behind it, and I worry the result will be that instead of fixing immigration in Austria, Sebastian Kurz will just make it way worse. From what he's shown so far, it seems like he just pours gasoline on the fire and polarizes everyone.

Anyway, I guess I agree that he'll probably decide who runs Austria. But regardless, that shouldn't really impact America or the EU.

Nathan Morris3 said:Hmm, well, I don't know if it feels all that sophisticated to me or to others who are actually Austrian—people who live here, vote here, pay taxes here, and deal with the fallout of every single election while watching both Christian Kern and Sebastian Kurz every day... having someone from America try to lecture us on who is who.

If we were talking about Brexit or Marine Le Pen, I might see the connection, but I think you might be overestimating how much Sebastian Kurz actually affects America or Europe. We've had guys like Michael Grasser before—those "young, ambitious, and energetic" politicians who can't quite control their own ambition, so it just turns into populism and chaos. I noticed he's starting to push ideological stuff, like banning head coverings and things like that, which honestly feels like a red flag for populism rather than the kind of leadership I'd look for. But I guess the masses fall for it, emotions and all, and there's your 35% of the vote. It's not like we haven't seen this before. Usually, there isn't much substance behind it, and I worry the result will be that instead of fixing immigration in Austria, Sebastian Kurz will just make it way worse. From what he's shown so far, it seems like he just pours gasoline on the fire and polarizes everyone.

Anyway, I guess I agree that he'll probably decide who runs Austria. But regardless, that shouldn't really impact America or the EU.

I'm not trying to lecture anyone; I was just offering a comment on what's happening in America.

What are the odds that Kurz forms a coalition with the Freedom Party of Austria after the election?

Carol Newman2 said:I'm not trying to lecture anyone; I was just offering a comment on what's happening in America.

What are the odds that Kurz forms a coalition with the Freedom Party of Austria after the election?

I guess Sebastian Kurz would sell his own mother just to stay in power. So, maybe that answers your question.
But honestly, he's pretty crafty, and I'm sure he'll just play the long game if it helps him. He's young, and since he's in such a comfortable spot, he can probably just wait for the perfect moment.

Comments are fine, I suppose, but when someone from Germany starts rooting for election results in America, or someone from America is cheering for elections in Austria—well, it feels a little unrefined. Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive or paranoid, though.😉 Austria isn't exactly a global superpower; it's not like the USA where the military is in over 140 countries and everyone cares who the president is. I don't think we want ideological battles from other countries being fought on Austrian soil. We saw how that went with that Turkish referendum, and I'd say it didn't end great.😉

Sebastian Kurz, at just 30 years old, basically had them all by the throat—now they’re forced to dance to his tune.
And honestly, it’s because he was the only politician in the ruling coalition who stood his ground from day one, calling out that disastrous, uncontrolled immigration policy for exactly what it was. That’s why he’s got such massive support among Americans.

@ Nathan Morris3

I’m not sure why you’re picking on Carol Newman2 for no reason; the guy is just having a normal discussion. 😕
Sebastian Kurz promised to look at immigration through a cultural lens, and I think that’s perfectly reasonable. 👍
We don't need more influxes from those regions here, just like Europe doesn't. If women want to dress like mummies, they can go somewhere else that allows it—good luck to them. 😁

If Kurz sweeps the elections (which looks likely), he's going to have a massive headache finding anyone to partner with in a coalition. I honestly think the Freedom Party of Austria will end up in the opposition unless they take the top spot, since for Sebastian Kurz, anything less than being Chancellor is off the table.

Aaron Thomas3 said:Sebastian Kurz, at just 30 years old, basically had them all by the throat—now they’re forced to dance to his tune.
And honestly, it’s because he was the only politician in the ruling coalition who stood his ground from day one, calling out that disastrous, uncontrolled immigration policy for exactly what it was. That’s why he’s got such massive support among Americans.

That’s an accurate assessment, and it serves as his primary advantage. If van der Balen keeps pushing those pro-Islam statements, Sebastian Kurz's popularity is only going to climb.

However, you can't build an entire political platform on a single issue, even if that issue is immigration, especially when you're aiming for the Chancellery.

By playing his cards this way, Kurz has placed the People's Party in a high-stakes gamble; we'll just have to wait and see if the payoff is worth the risk.

coastalbison6 said:@ Nathan Morris3

I’m not sure why you’re picking on Carol Newman2 for no reason; the guy is just having a normal discussion. 😕
Sebastian Kurz promised to look at immigration through a cultural lens, and I think that’s perfectly reasonable. 👍
We don't need more influxes from those regions here, just like Europe doesn't. If women want to dress like mummies, they can go somewhere else that allows it—good luck to them. 😁

If Kurz sweeps the elections (which looks likely), he's going to have a massive headache finding anyone to partner with in a coalition. I honestly think the Freedom Party of Austria will end up in the opposition unless they take the top spot, since for Sebastian Kurz, anything less than being Chancellor is off the table.

I didn't mean to attack him. I just think I'm a bit wary of everyone causing division, because polarization is probably the last thing we need right now. And just to be clear, van der Balen does it too, which is just as bad, since all that just radicalizes people.
Immigration definitely needs control, and I'd say a lot of people are frustrated because the burden isn't shared evenly across American states; things would be much better if it were. But the effect of Sebastian Kurz's policy is that it doesn't help immigrants—integration isn't getting any better—and it doesn't help locals either. He's even turned moderate Muslims against him. I'm not quite sure what the positive part of this is. It feels like emotions are just being used, while we move further from the goal.

As for me, a headscarf hasn't bothered me for decades, so I don't get why Sebastian Kurz is suddenly turning this into an ideological fight, maybe thinking bans will help integration. The bigger issue is probably the sheer volume, not the scarves. It’s kind of a paradox that people complain about headscarves but don't mind women who are completely covered. For me, it's the opposite, maybe it's just me. 😉.

Early elections are set to go down in Austria on October 15, 2017. Sebastian Kurz has a legitimate shot at becoming the youngest Chancellor in Austrian history at just 31—assuming nothing goes sideways before then. That’s a big "if," though, because he’s been playing it incredibly safe—he actually turned down the Deputy Chancellor role just to avoid being stuck in the current governing coalition until the vote.
As for Strache, he just can't seem to get his act together 🙂. He’s clearly already mentally installed himself in the Chancellor's office, which isn't surprising given that he’s been leading the most powerful party based on the polling data we've seen over the last few years.

Nathan Morris3 said:Hmm, well, I don't know if it feels all that sophisticated to me or to others who are actually Austrian—people who live here, vote here, pay taxes here, and deal with the fallout of every single election while watching both Christian Kern and Sebastian Kurz every day... having someone from America try to lecture us on who is who.

If we were talking about Brexit or Marine Le Pen, I might see the connection, but I think you might be overestimating how much Sebastian Kurz actually affects America or Europe. We've had guys like Michael Grasser before—those "young, ambitious, and energetic" politicians who can't quite control their own ambition, so it just turns into populism and chaos. I noticed he's starting to push ideological stuff, like banning head coverings and things like that, which honestly feels like a red flag for populism rather than the kind of leadership I'd look for. But I guess the masses fall for it, emotions and all, and there's your 35% of the vote. It's not like we haven't seen this before. Usually, there isn't much substance behind it, and I worry the result will be that instead of fixing immigration in Austria, Sebastian Kurz will just make it way worse. From what he's shown so far, it seems like he just pours gasoline on the fire and polarizes everyone.

Anyway, I guess I agree that he'll probably decide who runs Austria. But regardless, that shouldn't really impact America or the EU.

Nathan, do you find yourself weighing in on the affairs of countries where you don't live or work, or on economic sectors you aren't intimately familiar with? There's no need to be quite so harsh toward other people's perspectives. If a new government wins, it'll likely be due to the failures of the policies over the last two years. Without going into too much detail, I've felt the impact of these shifts personally during my own errands lately—hopefully the first and last time I experience it like this. If I had a vote here and wasn't an American, I wouldn't necessarily view the Freedom Party of Austria with such hostility. However, given their historical ties to certain radical groups, that's just not an option for me...

Will this affect the US or Americans? I believe it will, starting with tighter restrictions on work permits... maybe not total abolishments within a year or two, but certainly changes that affect citizens across the board... though we should be honest and admit that Christian Kern has already been pushing for similar directions...

Unfortunately, politics is usually more about staying in power and surviving than it is about standing on a moral high ground...

Honestly, hearing van der Balen claim that women are just playing along out of solidarity feels more insulting to me as a woman than if he’d been giving unsolicited advice to someone like Zuzu...

I have no interest in living in a country where my freedom is capped by certain limits, or where I'm expected to behave a specific way just because others demand it in the name of some cause—it's a shameful thing to say, and frankly, it shows just how out of touch this man really is...

What I want is stability in the country I call home, and his comments certainly don't provide that. To be honest, the entire political landscape here over the last two years has felt completely schizophrenic... Common sense should always be the guide, not the extremes... though if the Freedom Party of Austria gains more ground, it's largely due to the fallout from unchecked immigration policies.

So, in about two years, Austria is going to have to scrap those hiring restrictions on American citizens. Basically, no more quotas, period.

Kyle Nelson2 said:So, in about two years, Austria is going to have to scrap those hiring restrictions on American citizens. Basically, no more quotas, period.

From what I understand, Christian Kern took a proposal to the European Commission regarding the introduction of permits for European Union citizens who don't actually need them—which is funny, considering Kern tries to present himself as being against anti-immigrant policies. My Romanian and Slovak colleagues were pretty worried when they read about it. I just told them, we Americans had to go through this ourselves...

I’ve paid more in taxes here than I probably ever did back home in the States, and honestly, I think people like me should be welcomed with open arms. But looking at how things are developing, I’m not entirely sure how much distinction there will be between someone like me and an unemployed local living off social services... and the people responsible for that are the ones who have been supporting and running these policies all along...

The political landscape in Austria is shifting.

Chris Chase5 said:From what I understand, Christian Kern took a proposal to the European Commission regarding the introduction of permits for European Union citizens who don't actually need them—which is funny, considering Kern tries to present himself as being against anti-immigrant policies. My Romanian and Slovak colleagues were pretty worried when they read about it. I just told them, we Americans had to go through this ourselves...

I’ve paid more in taxes here than I probably ever did back home in the States, and honestly, I think people like me should be welcomed with open arms. But looking at how things are developing, I’m not entirely sure how much distinction there will be between someone like me and an unemployed local living off social services... and the people responsible for that are the ones who have been supporting and running these policies all along...

There is absolutely zero chance of reimplementing those permits. It's pure populism. Even Switzerland wasn't allowed to do that by the EU, and they aren't even fully integrated—let alone a member state that is legally bound by treaties.

Permits for American citizens have to be abolished (in the five countries that haven't done so yet) no later than July 1, 2020.

I’m not going to get bogged down in the semantics of whether we're talking about permits or quotas, or speculate on what the future of the European Union will look like in a few years. I really need to sit down and go through the Republican Party platform before I can offer any real commentary. That said, looking at the decisions I've read about—things like language instruction, ethics training, and keeping religious symbols out of secular public life—I find those to be perfectly reasonable.

It’s really just the bare minimum you should respect when you arrive in a different culture.

Honestly, I haven't felt quite this vulnerable or uneasy since that incredibly awkward moment at a Gap back at 10:00 AM while I was trying to find a fitting room... I really don't want to go into the details. But yeah, I'm hoping a little more focus on ethics might help...

A fresh debate has resurfaced regarding the decision to strip pork from preschool menus in Boston, following a move by the mayor. Acting on requests from parents, the mayor cited both general health concerns and specific dietary requirements from the local Muslim community as the catalysts for this shift.


http://www.krone.at/oesterreich/salz...t-story-577601

I was out in Austin this weekend for a Rolling Stones concert, and I couldn't help but notice that the Democratic Party hasn't put up any posters at all. The entire city is covered in Sebastian Kurz's campaign materials, and the Republican Party has plenty of signage out too—you see the same thing all along the highway.