Austrians Sign Petition to Leave European Union
Joshua Krause
The Daily Sheeple
July 5th, 2015
With the financial crisis in Greece reaching a fevered pitch, many have wondered what might happen to the European Union if their most debt riddled member jumps ship. Will it cause a domino effect of defaulting nations, equally interested in leaving this unnatural union? It’s hard to say how it all might pan out, but it’s important to note that anti-EU rhetoric isn’t limited to Greece. Calls to leave the Union are being heard in unexpected places.
Over 260,000 Austrians have signed a petition calling for the EU exit for the country, and now the Austrian parliament must discuss a referendum on the issue.
Overall, the 261,159 people who signed the petition represent 4.12 percent of the electorate.
The petition was most popular in the regions of Lower Austria (where 5.18 percent of potential voters signed it) and in Carinthia (4.85 percent).
The threshold for calling a debate on a potential referendum is 100,000 people.
The petition was launched by 66-year-old retired translator Inge Rauscher, who composed a similar petition in 2000. On that occasion, it was signed by 3.35 percent of the electorate.
Rauscher told The Local that there was probably more support for a referendum now because of the economic crisis and the Greek crisis.
In a press release, she said it was “a great result.”
Unlike Greece, Austria is an extremely wealthy nation, with one of the highest standards of living in the world. Which kind of makes you wonder right? Everyone has been talking about the consequences of what would happen if a financial basket case like Greece leaves the EU, but what happens if one of the more stable and functional nations leave? What if the people who are carrying the weight of the insolvent, decide that they’ve had enough?
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