He didn’t like the question: Vilimsky attacks journalists on the street

But what exactly made the politician so angry on the sidelines of the Simmering street festival in Vienna? According to the ORF, the question was: “The right-wing populists and right-wing extremists in the European Parliament are very divided. How do you convince voters that it is not a wasted vote?” The background is the recent expulsion of the AfD delegation from the EU parliamentary group, to which the FPÖ also belongs.

Vilimsky apparently felt that he was being addressed as a ‘right-wing extremist’ and subsequently lost his patience. The FPÖ’s top EU candidate demanded clarification on who would describe the journalist as “right-wing extremist”. Vilimsky then got angry and published the scene himself

Vilimsky threatens journalists
The FPÖ man also accused the ORF of indirectly accusing him of being partly responsible for the assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Vilimsky now raised his voice: “Thank you, it’s taken care of for me!” He started walking towards the journalist with his index finger raised. Finally, the PVV threatened the man, while he continued to withdraw, that there would be more discussion about it. Then the fragment ends.

The scene described for review:

ORF journalist spokesperson Dieter Bornemann saw no fault in his colleague’s approach. “Anyone who turns this into a general insinuation of right-wing extremism wants to fuel the FPÖ’s outrage machine.” In the video, the question was probably removed by the FPÖ for a good reason. “The question is legitimate because the FPÖ, unlike Le Pen, did not end its cooperation with the AfD after the Krah case.”

The FPÖ views the situation as a major media scandal. “What’s happening in this ORF is just otherworldly,” Vilimsky said. He accuses the channel of “left-wing propaganda” that no longer has anything to do with objective reporting. “We will no longer tolerate this approach. “This must and will be an issue in the supervisory board,” said the blue EU leadership candidate, demanding comprehensive consequences for the “left-wing activists on Küniglberg” from ORF general director Roland Weißmann.

Kickl’s “right-wing extremist” order
The FPÖ is repeatedly classified as right-wing extremist in political discourse in Austria. Vilimsky’s boss, party chairman Herbert Kickl, apparently has no problem with that. The FPÖ party chairman told his supporters at the Blue New Year’s rally in Graz in January that he would wear this designation proudly from his political competitors. In fact, for him the label ‘right-wing extremism’ is like a ‘medal’ if it comes from ‘political will-o’-the-wisps’.

During the event at the beginning of the year, Kickl also spoke about established ‘wanted lists’ and the ‘system media’. Journalists did not receive their own press ID tags, but buttons with a drawn image of Kickl and the inscription “People’s Chancellor” and a blue dot.

Before he came to power, National Socialists called Adolf Hitler the “People’s Chancellor.” The dictator had to be addressed as “Reichskanzler” or “Leader”. In March 2023, the term ‘People’s Chancellor Kickl’ first appeared in the FPÖ’s press releases. Vilimsky has had no problems with that so far.