Austria: ADRV – No vote for the warmongers! Boycott the European elections!
Here we publish an unofficial translation of a leaflet of the “Action for Democratic Rights of the People”, ADRV on the occasion of the EU election:
No vote for the warmongers! Boycott the European elections! In the European Union, the roads have long since been made armored again, the defense industry is supposed to produce faster and more, and new billions are being set up for the militarization of the EU and its member countries. The EU is an alliance of warmongers, an alliance for exploitation and oppression – an alliance that today attracts the wrath of millions. We say: Do not vote, but fight back and fight against armament and militarization, for the democratic and social rights of the people!
In recent years, rearmament, militarization and fascization in the EU have been pushed to new heights. Commenting on the decision of the European Council (Heads of State and Government of the EU) to increase spending on military purposes, Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) said that it would be “necessary to invest against the crisis”. While new sanctions are being decided on all the time, military spending is skyrocketing to new record levels and the arms industry is sensing fat profits, it is once again the people that has to bear the costs and burdens of these “investments”. Millions of the officially “neutral” Austria flow, among other things, to the European Defense Fund, through which armaments companies involved in the genocide in Palestine are co-financed, or the “European Peace Facility” (now increased to 12 billion euros), through which the supply of weapons to a belligerent country is financed. The rulers of Austria are more willing than ever to raze neutrality to the ground for their interests.
The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, spoke several times of a “necessary breaking of taboos” in view of these developments. Commenting on the new strategy for the arms industry, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said that it was now time to switch to a new “mode of the war economy”. However, this does not rewrite the fundamental character of the EU: the EU was created as an alliance at the service of the imperialists and it still is today. The EU’s policy mainly corresponds to its political and economic interests – and now more aggressive means are being resorted to. Neither the choice of the supposedly “lesser evil”, nor a vote for the “EU critics” will fundamentally change anything about it! Only a solid union and a revolutionary struggle will enable the oppressed and exploited to fight for their rights and interests.
The conditions recently set by the EU for further “aid money” to Ukraine are part of a long series of measures for the “neoliberal shock therapy” of the country, such as the land reform forced by the IMF, which made it possible for “Western” capital to buy up considerable farmland. A war is being waged on the backs of the Ukrainian people, which is about imperialist interests. Aware that the workers and peoples worldwide have much more in common than with the “own” governments that incite war against each other, we stand up for international solidarity. We oppose the arms deliveries and warmongering of the rulers and defend neutrality, which has been eroded further and further.
As you know, when Austria joined the EU in 1995, it did so without reservation of neutrality. The NEOS, who are most openly calling for the EU army and EU armament, announce that neutrality has thus been “de facto abandoned”. The Greens, who still presented themselves as a “peace Party” during the time of their “opposition”, have shown their position very bluntly as a ruling party: even Sky Shield, a de facto NATO project, they agreed “without hesitation” in line with the ÖVP. The voting behavior in the EU Parliament also speaks more than all empty declarations of neutrality: Members of the ÖVP, SPÖ, the Greens and the Neos recently voted for the EU resolution, which is supposed to deal with deliveries of Taurus weapons systems and 25% of GDP to Ukraine.
And the FPÖ, which in its “opposition position” seems to position itself so steadfastly as an opponent of war? Mr. Vilimsky is “annoyed” by the media that in 2023 there were over 4,500 military transports through the actually neutral Austria and that more than 6,200 military aircraft crossed the country. This is also actually worth rejecting. However, the FPÖ does not mention at all that the amendment of the War Materials Act under Black-Blue II laid the foundation for these neutrality breaches. Of all people, this party, which openly advocated Austria’s accession to NATO in its government periods, advocated an EU defense clause (Black-Blue I) and called for a ban on demonstrations in Vienna, is now playing itself up as the great guardian of peace and democratic rights.
At that time, what did Jean-Claude Juncker think about the vote of the Greek people against the austerity policy being imposed on them? “There is no democratic choice against the EU treaties.“[1] The EU may already be criticized today, but to completely question it should be made possible to think: it is presented as completely without an alternative. We oppose this imperialist alliance and the legitimization of it by an apparent democratic electoral spectacle. There is talk of “peace union, justice and solidarity” – but the EU stands for exactly the opposite. We call for a boycott of the EU elections, but not for passivity, nor for sitting still or remaining silent. Especially in defense of democratic and social rights, we call for unity: do not vote, but fight back and fight!
For the defense and restoration of neutrality!
For Austria’s withdrawal from all EU military treaties!
Defend the democratic and social rights of the people!
Down with imperialism – No to the EU!
