Nuclear energy and the Schengen area: ÖVP does not want to approve the election program of the Executive Vice President

At the European People's Party conference, Austrian delegates will veto the statement before the EU elections. The approvals required for nuclear power and the expansion of the Schengen area are “red lines”.

The European People's Party (EPP), to which the ÖVP also belongs, will meet in Bucharest, Romania, on Wednesday and Thursday to elect its best candidate for the presidency of the European Commission and decide on its election platform. According to Secretary General Christian Stocker, ÖVP delegates will not agree to the EPP's statement. The reason for this is several red lines, such as the required approval for nuclear energy or the expansion of the Schengen area.

He added: “We have clear positions and a clear position as a people’s party in Europe as well, and we stand by them and cannot deviate from them. Christian Stocker, Secretary General of the People's Party, said: “There are many good suggestions and important points in the statement, but at the same time there are some red lines for us.” “We cannot agree on nuclear energy in Austria. We are and remain against nuclear energy.” It is clear that the ÖVP opposes the abolition of the principle of unanimity in the field of foreign and security policy.

The ÖVP also rejects the full inclusion of their countries in the Schengen Area claimed by Romania and Bulgaria: “The Schengen system is broken. “We have to fix the system, not bottleneck it,” Stoker said in a statement. It affirms positively that some of the demands of the Austrian People's Party, for example in the fight against illegal immigration, are included in the concept of the safe third country.

Nehammer wants to speak Thursday

According to the programme, Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) will speak on behalf of Austria on Thursday afternoon in Bucharest. On Wednesday, European Minister Caroline Edtstadler (ÖVP) as well as EU representatives Otmar Karras, First Vice-President of the European Parliament, and Christian Sagartz will be present, and on Thursday the ÖVP's main candidate Reinhard Lopatka will be present.

The electoral program, which will be adopted by about 2,000 delegates from 44 countries on Wednesday, will be based on the two pillars of prosperity and security. According to EPP Chairman Manfred Weber, the focus is on strengthening competitiveness and the economy as well as securing peace and strengthening Europe's military power. According to the EPP, twelve current heads of the EPP government as well as several opposition leaders and EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola are expected to arrive in Bucharest. The conference begins on Wednesday afternoon with discussions on the three topics: defence, security, solidarity between generations, the economy and jobs. (APA)