‘Burqa ban’ lawsignals rightward political turn
VIENNA— A lawprohibiting any kind of full-face covering, known popularly as the “Burqa Ban,” takes effect today in Austria, where strong support for it portends potential political upheaval in the upcoming national election.
Parties campaigning on an anti-migrant message are poised to win on Oct. 15 and to form a coalition government. Such a rightward swing in a country that has had centrist governmentsalmostconsistently since World War II could have repercussions across Europe, emboldening politicians who take a hard line on Islam and immigration.
Lastweek, the right-wing, anti-migrant Alternative for Germany partywon seats in Germany’s national parliament for the fifirst time after featuring posters with the slogan “Burqas? We prefer bikinis” in its campaign.
The Austrian law— called “Prohibition for the Covering of the Face” — forbids offffffffffff-slope ski masks, surgical masks outside hospitals and partymasks in public. Violations carry a possible fifine of nearly $180 and police are authorized to use force with people who resist showing their faces.
But its popular name reflflects the most prevalent association — the garments some Muslim women wear to conceal theirwhole faces and bodies. The garments are rare in Austria even after the recent surge of migrants into Europe. Support for the law is strong nonetheless, reflflecting anti-Muslim attitudes in the predominantly Catholic country.
“It’s not right that those living here don’t show their faces,” saidEmmaSchwaiger, who expressed support for the ban in a straw poll on the streets of Vienna.
Five of seven peoplewho saidthey backed the lawalso said they will vote for the two parties that critics link to anti-Muslim sentiment — the traditionally xenophobic Freedom Party and the People’s Party. The People’s Party avoids the Freedom Party’s inflflammatory talk, buthasswung radically from the center under newleader Sebastian Kurz to echo that party’s positions on migration.
The Social Democratic Party, currently the majoritypartnerinthegovernment coalition with the People’s Party, has been left struggling.
Under Chancellor Christian Kern, the Social Democrats are focusing on social topics andclaiming credit for Austria’s recent economic upturn. But Kern’smessage is not coming across well.
A Unique Research poll of 1,500 respondents published Thursday showed the Social Democrats with 27 percent support, ahead of the Freedom Party at 25 percent but trailing the People’s Party, which had 34 percent. The poll had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.
Previously associatedwith stagnation and lack of direction, the People’s Partywas in third place until Kurz, Austria’s telegenic31-yearold foreign minister, took leadership in May after securing party pledges of full authorit ity.y.
He already was known throughout Europe for shutting down the West Balkans route migrants followed to theprosperousEUheartland. With early elections set after the breakup of the coalition with the Social Democrats, he rapidly remade the party in his own image.
Although the People’s Partywas part of the government
Hcoalition that opened Austria’s borders to more than 100,000 migrants in 2015, the party now says that “the political establishment failed in dealing with the refugee crisis.”
Calling for zero illegal immigration, Kurz says migrants intercepted on the high seas should be shipped to refugee centers in North Africa instead of Europe. Migrants waiting for a decision on their asylumapplications should be forced toworkmenial jobs in exchange for pocketmoney, and instead of the normal six-year waiting period for Austrian citizenship, those receivingasylumshouldhave towait for 10 years, he says.
Kurz has something else in his favor for an electorate disaffffffffffffected with the status quo.
“He was able — even though he was in government formore thansix years — to present himself as the ‘change guy,’” said Thomas Hofer, a political analyst.
He nowcampaigns as the headof“SebastianKurzList.” Posters with his imagemention the People’s Party as an afterthought. Turquoise has replaced the party’s offifficial color of black.