Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – EU Parliament President Metsola met the Austrian Chancellor, Alexander Schallenberg. It is his first visit to Brussels as a Chancellor.
Roberta Metsola, in her post on X, mentioned welcoming Federal Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg. She noted that, on the occasion of Austria’s 30th anniversary of EU membership, they discussed how the EU can remain a solution to people’s concerns in the future. She added that the EU Parliament continues to count on Austria as a reliable partner.
It’s Schallenberg’s first formal appointment with the European leaders after succeeding Karl Nehammer, the Austrian chancellor, as the acting Austrian head of government, whose resignation sparked political fallout and created much uproar among other stakeholders in Austria. Important discussions include matters relating to climate and energy policy, improvement in the EU’s economic strength, and further vision of security structures across the entire Europe continent.
Schallenberg emphasised Austria’s commitment to being a reliable and constructive partner in the EU, especially during hard times. The visit aims to strengthen cooperation between Austria and the EU by discussing the current political issues and further reasserting Austria’s role in shaping the future of Europe. This engagement, therefore, demonstrates how the EU’s member states have to collaborate and find ways through the current challenges of geopolitics to create stability in the region.
Willkommen im @Europarl_EN, Bundeskanzler @a_schallenberg 🇪🇺🇦🇹
— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) January 13, 2025
Anlässlich 30 Jahre EU-Mitgliedschaft Österreichs haben wir darüber gesprochen, wie die EU auch künftig die Antwort auf die Sorgen der Menschen bleiben kann.@Europarl_AT zählt weiterhin auf Österreich als… pic.twitter.com/PBJIk3ivUH
How does the EU-Austria cooperation evolve?
Cooperation in education, economic policy, and political alignment: Austria enjoys robust cooperation with the European Union (EU). In the year 2025, the EU will be contributing around €85 million to Austria through the Erasmus+ program. It shall enhance the movement and participation of underrepresented groups, thereby bolstering cross-border exchanges in education, youth, and sports with a strong spotlight on the EU commitment to develop education opportunities in Austria.
Austria became a member of the EU in 1995, having submitted an accession application in 1989. Along its path to joining the EU, the country was an active participant in a number of European organisations and had long been committed to European integration, which continues to shape its policies and international relations.
