The ÖVP’s governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, has devised a fresh tactic in the ongoing fight against anti-Semitism.

At the LH meeting in St. Pölten, she proposed encouraging immigrants pursuing Austrian citizenship to visit a memorial site of a concentration camp. Crucially, Mikl-Leitner’s office stresses that these kinds of visits shouldn’t be required.

The Jewish Museum in Vienna and the memorial to the Mauthausen concentration camp are two recommended stops on your tour. Mikl-Leitner emphasizes that Austria hopes to successfully convey its fundamental beliefs and ideals through these memorials or similar establishments.

She also suggests including these visits in the citizenship or integration procedure.

Leading the LH conference, Mikl-Leitner emphasizes the progress done in property-related issues by highlighting the federal housing package and the first loosening of KIM regulations. According to a Kurier newspaper, she and other regional representatives are determined to continue working until the financial market authority removes the leading rules.

Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the governor of Lower Austria, stressed Austria’s strong position against the rise in anti-Semitism and stated that the nation will not stand for such a development.

The secretary-general of the Jewish community in Vienna, Benjamin Nagele, announced in October 2023 that there had been a substantial increase in anti-Semitic acts in Austria that month. Furthermore, the Israeli Kultusgemeinde in Austria was notified of more than seventy anti-Semitic incidents. Nagele pointed out that this jump marked a startling 300 percent increase in comparison to the total instances documented in 2022.

Austria acted decisively in November of the previous year to strengthen its anti-Semitism campaign. Austria’s Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution, Karoline Edtstadler, reaffirmed Vienna’s unflinching commitment to keeping the “Never again” pledge, emphasizing the country’s unwavering rejection to all forms of anti-Semitism.

Even though they are known to be strict, Austria’s citizenship requirements are well-liked by its residents. Three quarters of the public support keeping the current citizenship laws in place, according to a People’s Party survey.

Moreover, the same survey revealed that a sizable majority—two-thirds of the population—supports keeping the ten-year waiting period in place for those who wish to become citizens of Austria.