Universal Periodic Review

Adopt codes of conduct for politicians prohibiting the use of racist speeches, and make necessary arrangements for those to adopt approaches for supporting integration rather than isolation and alienation

Proponent:

Remarks to progress by Liga (last modified Dec 31, 2024):

The implementation of codes of conduct for political actors is an important step towards ensuring ethical standards and accountability in the political arena. These codes serve to regulate the behaviour of politicians and set clear boundaries for their statements. In particular, the prohibition of racist statements is of great importance, as they not only divide society but can also jeopardise integration.   Several codes of conduct exist in Austria that aim to promote ethical standards and integrity in the public sector. One of these is the Code of Conduct for the Prevention of Corruption in the Public Sector, which was adopted by the Council of Ministers in November 2020. This is aimed at federal employees and offers practical instructions and checklists for dealing with attempts at bribery.   Another code is the Code of Conduct of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI), which was adopted in 2010 and is continuously updated. This serves as a guideline for all employees of the BMI and is based on the applicable legal situation in order to promote ethical standards.   However, it should be noted that there have been no recognisable efforts to date to draw up codes of conduct for politicians that prohibit the use of racist language. Similarly, there is a lack of regulations to ensure that political actors promote inclusion rather than favour isolation and alienation. ECRI has also emphasised that politicians should take a firm stance against racist hate speech and that political parties should introduce codes of conduct that prohibit the use of hate speech. So far, these recommendations have gone unheeded. In Austria, incitement to hatred is prohibited under criminal law, even for politicians. One example of this is the conviction of former FPÖ politician Johann Gudenus, who was prosecuted for racist and inflammatory statements. Similarly, Herbert Kickl, another high-ranking member of the FPÖ, was criticised several times for his provocative statements, even if convictions were not always handed down. In such cases, parliament can decide to waive the immunity of the politician concerned if criminal prosecution is a possibility. This makes it possible to hold the person concerned accountable and prosecute them. It is desirable that politicians are actively committed to integration. However, it is not the responsibility of the government to dictate how they speak out on this issue. Standards of behaviour for politicians must be set by the political parties themselves or in parliament.