Christoph Leitl Re-elected President of the European Movement Austria
Christoph Leitl has been re-elected President of the European Movement Austria (EBÖ). With a view to the upcoming European elections on 9 June and the forthcoming appointment of the new EU Commission in the autumn, Leitl emphasizes the importance of the EU as a peace project and the need to find European answers to current issues.
Christoph Leitl ( l.) was re-elected President of the European Movement Austria (EBÖ). / Picture: © EBÖ/Michael Weinwurm
Leitl, who is starting his second term in office, emphasized the importance of the European elections as a turning point for the EU to renew and strengthen the fundamental principles of peace and solidarity on which the Union was built. "How can we strengthen Europe's idea of peace again, which was and is the fundamental founding idea of the EU?" asked Leitl, making it clear that the answers to such fundamental questions can only be found at the European level.
In addition to Leitl, several key figures were confirmed as Vice Presidents, including Jörg Leichtfried, Prof. Ewald Nowotny, Friedhelm Frischenschlager, and Elisabeth Dittrich, all of whom bring a wide range of perspectives and expertise to the pro-European platform. Their re-election reflects the EBÖ's ambition to represent a broad spectrum of social, political, and economic interests and to work for a strong, united Europe.
Elisabeth Dittrich, re-elected Vice-President and President of the teachers' association AEDE Austria, expressed her particular motivation for the next two years: "It is an honor to continue as Vice-President and to be able to contribute to strengthening the European idea and activating citizens in the spirit of European unification."
EBÖ with a message for upcoming elections
The EBÖ, a non-partisan platform of pro-European forces in society, politics, and business, sees the European elections as an opportunity to bring the competition for better substantive policy to the fore and thus celebrate a festival of European democracy.
The elections to the European Parliament on June 9, 2024 and the subsequent renewal of the Commission in the fall are decisive moments for the future of Europe. In the face of global challenges and attacks on liberal democracy and fundamental European values, the need to strengthen the idea of peace and the basic ideas of the EU is greater than ever.
The EBÖ opposes the instrumentalization of the European elections for domestic political purposes and instead emphasizes the importance of this election as an opportunity to improve the quality of political discussion at the EU level and to give citizens a voice. "It is about a competition for the better substantive policy without stirring up fear and agitation," said Leitl, adding that the movement sees the upcoming election as an opportunity to celebrate and strengthen European democracy. In these challenging times, it is all the more important to stand together and work together for a strong, united Europe.