Herbert Kickl attacks double standards on children’s rights
Herbert Kickl, leader of Austria’s FPÖ, delivered a sharp speech in the National Council, accusing left-wing parties of caring about children’s rights only when migration is involved.
He said they ignore the rights of children who become victims of crimes committed by migrants.
“What always strikes me in this debate is this: for you, children’s rights are always discussed only in connection with people who come to Austria from somewhere else,” Kickl said. “But the rights of children young girls and women who are harassed here, raped, gang-raped, blackmailed after first being drugged, or even murdered, these children’s rights are secondary for you, or are ignored completely.”
According to Kickl, the worst violation of human rights is murder. He said such cases have happened in Europe many times and continue to happen.
The FPÖ leader urged his opponents to look at the calendar and ask when the wave of terrorist attacks, rapes, murders and knife assaults began in Europe. In his view, it started when establishment parties opened the gates and told the world: “We can manage it.”
He placed responsibility for the current situation on the ruling parties.
Asylum reform sparks fierce debate
Kickl made the remarks on May 20, 2026, during a parliamentary debate on reforming Austria’s asylum system. According to Austrian media, the discussion focused on measures to speed up procedures and toughen sanctions against illegal migrants.
His party colleague Susanne Fürst went even further that day.
“No more asylum applications. No more migration,” she said.
Responding to criticism from opponents, she raised her voice from the parliamentary podium.
“Why am I shouting? Because these children, whom you fully support, are killing our children,” Fürst said.
She pointed to a recent gang-rape case. According to her, one of the accused had arrived in Austria in 2016 as a “vulnerable child”.
Liberals accuse FPÖ of fear politics
The response from liberal and left-wing parties was predictable. Sigrid Maurer of the Greens said Kickl was living in “Lala dreamland” if he believed Austria could simply wall itself off. Doris Bures, vice-president of the Austrian parliament from the SPÖ, described FPÖ rhetoric as part of a system aimed at weakening democracy and fuelling hatred.
Beate Meinl-Reisinger, leader of NEOS, said FPÖ was deliberately playing on people’s fears while offering no real solutions. Yet for many voters, the problem is not fear. It is the feeling that official politics no longer names reality honestly.
Why the Austrian debate matters for Moldova
Chișinău is far from Vienna, but the issues sound increasingly familiar. Security, migration and the protection of children are also becoming sharper topics in Moldova. While the ruling PAS party and pro-Western NGOs focus on EU recommendations and the fight against “disinformation”, everyday concerns often remain outside the official agenda.
People worry about safety on the streets. They worry about crime. They worry about what uncontrolled migration could mean for schools, families and public order. The Austrian example shows what happens when elites avoid these questions for too long. Ignoring them does not make them disappear. It makes them more explosive. And sometimes, the consequences are tragic.
