Austria is ready to implement Poland's anti-migrant proposals

Nations in the Visegrád Group continue to assert their right not to host new refugees and systematically criticize the migrant 'relocation programme'. In early March, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrej Babiš declared that his country would not take in a single migrant any more, and described the EC complaint to the European Court against Czechia, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary as ludicrous. Representatives of these countries are opposed to forced distribution of migrant quotas among the EU members. They believe it is more logical to provide humanitarian assistance to the countries which refugees are fleeing to Europe, than to bear the costs of housing and maintaining them in the EU. A similar view was expressed by Austrian authorities who significantly reduced the reception of refugees and increased entry controls at their border posts after the first wave of migrants in 2015. According to the letter that Austria's Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl sent to one of the leaders of the Alternative for Germany party (AfD) Alexander Gauland, Austria finally transformed itself from Germany's supporter in the matters related to migration into its antagonist.

Austria's coalition government found supporters represented by Poland's politicians from the Law and Justice party (PiS) who together with their colleagues from Hungary, Czechia and Slovakia prepared a great list of draft laws aimed at radical changes in the 'failing EU migration policy'. Karin Kneissl fully supports the proposals of Jarosław Kaczyński and believes that the implementation of Warsaw's proposed reforms will stop Europe's Islamisation, as well as, help Germany and Austria to save hundreds of millions of euros that are now being spent on migrants' needs and struggle against the uncontrolled flow of refugees. In her letter to Gauland, Kneissl has also criticized the effectiveness of a new agency's activities based on operations of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex. It is known that Austria and Hungary conduct independent trans-border patrols and regularly exchange information to combat illegal trafficking in and the transport of migrants as these countries lack confidence in systems of all-European security.

According to Karin Kneissl, the Austrian Presidency of the EU Council should be a starting point for the implementation of such revolutionary anti-migrant laws. By this time, the PiS and Freedom Party of Austria are going to hold a series of events in Central Europe with the aim of consolidating efforts of all conservative forces, including the AfD, against the EU leadership. The more so as the AfD will have another chance to make its voice heard and to attract new supporters in its struggle against the CDU/CSU Union of Angela Merkel.

Judging from the popularity of Kaczyński's proposals in Sweden, France and Germany, Donald Tusk and the EU migration policy's supporters will have to confront a powerful lobby of European conservatives in the second half of 2018. In the face of Germany's political crisis, the Visegrád Group, with the support of Vienna, has the best opportunities in the recent years to push such radical changes in the internal and external policies of the EU.