Austrian initiative collecting signatures for EU exit

Austrian civic initiative Heimat and Umwelt (Homeland and Environment) has started collecting signatures from Austrian citizens who support the country’s EU exit.

“This initiative is open for all political parties and we expect a broad support. This is proved by our numerous conversations with the citizens over the past months,” the Sputnik news agency quoted an initiative representative, Inge Rauscher, as saying on Wednesday.

The representative went on to say that over 10,000 signatures were collected during the preliminary stages before the official launch of the initiative.

The petition has received sparse domestic media converge so far as they are “loyal to the European Union,” Rauscher added.

According to the founders of the initiative, the only way for Austria to regain its neutrality and gain independence from Brussels is to leave the European Union.

“We are not any longer a sovereign state in the European Union. Over 80 percent of all essential legislation is being imposed by Brussels, not by elected commissioners. In our view, Europe is not a democracy. The European Parliament does not even have legislative powers,” added Rauscher.

The petition is to be considered in Austria’s lower house of parliament if it collects 100,000 signatures between June 24 and July 1.

In almost all EU countries, there are political parties and individuals advocating withdrawal from the EU.

British Prime Minster David Cameron has vowed to hold a referendum on the subject in 2017.

SRK/AS/MHB

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