Ex-Neos leader warns

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Riots in France: a picture of destruction

(Bild: AP)

Ex-Neos leader Matthias Strolz is sounding the alarm: "No-go areas like in major French cities" are looming in Vienna due to "too much and too disorderly" migration. Christoph Wiederkehr, the pink deputy mayor himself responsible for integration in Vienna, takes a similar view. 

While Neos leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger is negotiating with the ÖVP and SPÖ about pink participation in the future federal government, her predecessor Matthias Strolz is making a dramatic appeal to those in power via social media - it's all about immigration.

"Education system is toppling"
 "We had too much and too disorderly immigration", writes Strolz on "X", which is why "the social explosives are growing immensely". Especially in the capital. "The focal point is Vienna, because it's a metropolis. There are also wrong signals in the area of social policy. The city's education system is falling apart."

Background: Every second first-grader in elementary school does not speak German, or does not speak it well enough. Islamic pupils already make up the majority in many compulsory school classes.

Ex-Neos leader Matthias Strolz.

(Bild: krone.tv )

"State of emergency in integration"

"We have a national emergency in the area of integration", says Strolz and continues: "Without decisive countermeasures, Vienna will have a considerable security problem." Anyone who is "not ignorant" can see that. "The perspective is that of large French cities - with explicit no-go areas." 

Wiederkehr: "We've always said that"
The Neos party under Deputy Mayor and City Councillor Christoph Wiederkehr are in favour of integration and education in Vienna. He fully agrees with the criticism. "Matthias Strolz is saying what we have always been saying. We have been warning for a long time that there are problems in Vienna, both in schools and in life together," said Wiederkehr in response to an inquiry from Krone. 

Deputy Mayor and City Councillor for Integration Christoph Wiederkehr

(Bild: Zwefo)

And the Deputy Mayor continued: "If Vienna is bearing the brunt of migration, this is also reflected in the schools. That's why we have long been calling for a fair distribution through a residence requirement, but also a uniform form of minimum security across the country."

The question is whether the Pinks can get their way with their current (in Vienna) and possible coalition partners (in the federal government). 

However, Strolz believes that his former party (he has since left) could also do more: "The political answers so far are not enough. Nor are the ambitions of those in government so far." The only thing missing is "the courage to identify the problem", says Vorarlberger. Strolz: "Every city government and every federal government that fails to recognize this loses its legitimacy. And will be voted out of office as a result."

You only have to look at many European countries to find examples of this.