Upper Austria's ÖVP calls for EU classification of Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organization

At the same time, the ÖVP state secretary emphasized that Austria must defend its open structures. "Deshalb dürfen wir nicht zulassen, dass demokratiefeindliche Kräfte unsere offenen Strukturen ausnützen, um genau diese Freiheit Schritt für Schritt zu beseitigen", said Hiegelsberger. He sees an EU-wide classification as an effective means of containing this danger.

Warning against Political Islam

Hiegelsberger called on the relevant authorities in Brussels to move faster. "Gerade deshalb braucht es hier endlich Tempo auf europäischer Ebene", he said. A swift decision is necessary to expand the room for maneuver of national security authorities.

In its assessment, the ÖVP in Upper Austria also relies on the new German domestic intelligence report 2025, which was presented on Tuesday. Auch der neue deutsche Verfassungsschutzbericht 2025, der am Dienstag präsentiert wurde, bekräftige diese Einschätzung. In the ÖVP's view, the Austrian demand thus receives additional tailwind from a friendly neighboring country.

German authorities support the assessment

The Muslim Brotherhood, also abbreviated as MB, has been the subject of controversial debate in several European countries for years. Advocates of classifying it as a terrorist organization point to the movement's ideological orientation, which rejects democratic and constitutional principles. Critics of such a classification, however, point out that the organization operates in numerous countries as a social and political movement.

Austria itself has so far not classified the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. The decision on a corresponding classification lies at the EU level with the relevant bodies in Brussels. Such a classification would have direct effects on the handling of associations, mosques, and organizations attributed to the movement.

Situation in Austria

The demand from Upper Austria is part of a broader debate about how to deal with Political Islam in Europe. In several EU states, tightening of security laws and closer monitoring of Islamist structures are currently being discussed. The position of the Upper Austrian ÖVP signals that the debate is gaining momentum.

Hiegelsberger announced that he would continue to pursue the issue at the state and federal level in the coming weeks. It is expected that the demand will feed into political consultations in the coming weeks. No concrete timetable for a decision at the EU level was given.