More courage to be open to the world
Since June 14, 2023, a right-wing populist party has been a legitimate part of the Salzburg state government. The Senate of the Mozarteum University Salzburg is following with concern the extremist expressions and exclusionary attitudes that are thus finding their way into key political positions in our federal state, not least with a view to the signal effect of this coalition in terms of federal policy and its international external impact.
Statement of the Senate of the University Mozarteum Salzburg on the new state government
On this occasion, we would like to draw attention once again to the openly expressed intention of the new co-governing party to establish a "Fortress Austria" based on the Hungarian model - according to the federal party chairman of this party. Accordingly, the Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán is a "role model for many in Europe" (Standard, 5.5.23). The new deputy governor of Salzburg also called him (on her Instagram account) "one of the last steadfast heads of government in Europe" on the occasion of his re-election in April 2022.
As a reminder, Viktor Orbán has consistently transformed Hungary into an illiberal democracy (as Orbán calls it) since 2010, the hallmarks of which include the restriction of press freedom, falsification of history in the name of an extreme nationalist and revisionist narrative, the destruction of the autonomy of universities, and a "total attack" (Orbán) on culture.
Such a policy must not serve as a model for our country, nor should it find further entry into political culture in a trivializing manner. It is also in no way compatible with the practiced openness to the world that is constitutive for an art university like the Mozarteum. Therefore, we call upon the democratic forces in the state government and the Salzburg state parliament to be vigilant and to take a clear position against all right-wing populist and nationalist tendencies.
Senate, ÖH Presidency and Cultural Department of the ÖH as well as the University Representation of the Students of the University Mozarteum Salzburg.
Salzburg, June 23, 2023