Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann has condemned the extreme-right Freedom Party for using antisemitic rhetoric ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June.In a new campaign ad published in the tabloid Kronen Zeitung, the Freedom Party (FPOe) pasted in large red letters: “FPOe veto for Turkey and Israel in the EU.”
While the party has long campaigned against Turkish accession to the 27-nation bloc, this was the first time it made mention of Israel.
“Israel is not a candidate at all,” Chancellor Faymann told the daily Der Standard in its online edition. “There aren’t even accession talks. “The only reason to mention Israel here is to stir up antisemitic prejudices,” he said.
“That is shameful. We have no time for such taunting. I strongly condemn it,” he added.
