The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is ramping up its efforts to tighten citizenship laws in response to thousands of asylum seekers who could soon apply for Austrian nationality.
Party leader Herbert Kickl has proposed extending the current 10-year waiting period for naturalization to 15 years, aiming to prevent migrants who arrived during the 2015 crisis from obtaining citizenship in the near future.
“Asylum means temporary protection! Our citizenship is a high asset, not a gift for everyone,” Kickl said on Tuesday. The FPÖ views the current asylum and immigration policy as a “pull factor” and is determined to implement measures that will slow down the naturalization process.
According to Exxpress, the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) has signaled its support for this proposal, which would delay thousands of pending applications.
Despite reaching common ground on migration policies, coalition negotiations between the FPÖ and ÖVP have hit obstacles regarding the distribution of key government ministries.
The FPÖ is demanding control over the Federal Chancellery under Kickl, as well as key posts including finance minister, interior minister, and an expanded chancellor minister role that would cover EU affairs, constitutional matters, media, and deregulation.
The ÖVP, however, is resisting these demands, considering control over these departments as a red line. Talks were abruptly halted as both parties failed to reach a compromise.
Under the FPÖ’s proposed arrangement, the ÖVP would control seven ministries, including foreign affairs, economy, agriculture, education, and infrastructure, while the FPÖ would hold six, including health, social affairs, and the key finance and interior ministries.
If a coalition agreement is reached, the FPÖ and ÖVP plan to implement sweeping policy changes, including additional migration reforms such as expedited deportations, stricter language requirements in schools, and a headscarf ban for teachers.
The coalition is considering higher taxes on tobacco products, electric vehicles, and solar panels to increase state revenue, while on transport the FPÖ is advocating for raising the highway speed limit to 150 km/h on certain routes.
Budget cuts to the national broadcaster ORF, reducing its annual funding from €700 million to €500 million, are also planned, with long-term discussions on abolishing the ORF budget tax by 2026.