02:39Norbert Hofer, the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) candidate to become Austria's vice chancellor, promised to protect borders, took a stance against "political Islam" and criticised Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg in the party's final rally ahead of this weekend's snap election, on Friday in Vienna.
"We need a law against political Islam, because for me, the culture of Islam is the biggest threat to our society," Hofer said. "Islam is not part of our history, it is not a part of our culture and it will never be."
Of Thunberg, he said, "I don't need a high school student from northern Europe, to tell us how to live, my dears."
Hofer hopes to replace fellow FPO politician Heinz-Christian Strache, who resigned as vice chancellor and backed away from politics after Austrian media published a video in which Strache, his parliamentary leader, Johann Gudenus, and an unidentified woman claiming to be the niece of a Russian oligarch discussed taking control of the country's largest-circulation tabloid in order to help the FPO in future elections. The purported deal was allegedly made in exchange for public contracts.
The so-called "Ibiza" scandal caused the government, led by Sebastian Kurz, to collapse and triggered the snap elections to be held on Sunday.
Austria: Vice Chancellor candidate takes aim at immigrants, Islam and Greta Thunberg
Norbert Hofer, the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) candidate to become Austria's vice chancellor, promised to protect borders, took a stance against "political Islam" and criticised Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg in the party's final rally ahead of this weekend's snap election, on Friday in Vienna.
"We need a law against political Islam, because for me, the culture of Islam is the biggest threat to our society," Hofer said. "Islam is not part of our history, it is not a part of our culture and it will never be."
Of Thunberg, he said, "I don't need a high school student from northern Europe, to tell us how to live, my dears."
Hofer hopes to replace fellow FPO politician Heinz-Christian Strache, who resigned as vice chancellor and backed away from politics after Austrian media published a video in which Strache, his parliamentary leader, Johann Gudenus, and an unidentified woman claiming to be the niece of a Russian oligarch discussed taking control of the country's largest-circulation tabloid in order to help the FPO in future elections. The purported deal was allegedly made in exchange for public contracts.
The so-called "Ibiza" scandal caused the government, led by Sebastian Kurz, to collapse and triggered the snap elections to be held on Sunday.
Norbert Hofer, the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) candidate to become Austria's vice chancellor, promised to protect borders, took a stance against "political Islam" and criticised Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg in the party's final rally ahead of this weekend's snap election, on Friday in Vienna.
"We need a law against political Islam, because for me, the culture of Islam is the biggest threat to our society," Hofer said. "Islam is not part of our history, it is not a part of our culture and it will never be."
Of Thunberg, he said, "I don't need a high school student from northern Europe, to tell us how to live, my dears."
Hofer hopes to replace fellow FPO politician Heinz-Christian Strache, who resigned as vice chancellor and backed away from politics after Austrian media published a video in which Strache, his parliamentary leader, Johann Gudenus, and an unidentified woman claiming to be the niece of a Russian oligarch discussed taking control of the country's largest-circulation tabloid in order to help the FPO in future elections. The purported deal was allegedly made in exchange for public contracts.
The so-called "Ibiza" scandal caused the government, led by Sebastian Kurz, to collapse and triggered the snap elections to be held on Sunday.