The European Movement International national office in Austria has been relaunched! On Monday 30 January 2017, the General Assembly of the European Movement Austria came together in Vienna to relaunch and restructure the organisation. The Austrian Minister of Infrastructure, Jörg Leichtfried, will take over as President and Sabine Radl will be the new Secretary General.

Habemus Presidente! @jleichtfried eben als neuer Präsident der Europäischen Bewegung Österreich gewählt! #RelaunchEBÖ #EBÖ #EurMove pic.twitter.com/cFE0oVIWYt

— Europäische Bewegung (@EB_Austria) January 30, 2017

The organisation’s immediate priority objectives are to reinforce European communication and to strengthen the network of pro-European forces in Austria. As such, EM Austria is working closer together with the European Movement International, which was represented by Bernd Hüttemann in his capacity as Vice-President.

Hüttemann gave a brief presentation of the European Movement International’s network and the many areas in which the organisation is currently active. “I am very pleased that the European Movement Austria is once again an active part of the European Movement network. Especially in view of Austria’s corporatist structure, it is important to offer a European platform and to connect the relevant economic and civil organisations.”

With its relaunch, EM Austria has also joined the visual identity of the European Movement: the logo and the new website of the organisation show the affiliation to the pan-European network. The EM Austria has also launched its own calendar on the Maltese presidency.

Nebenwirkung eingepreist! #relaunchebö schafft wienberlinerischen Schulterschluss in #Europapolitik GSeks @S_Radl @EB_Austria & @huettemann pic.twitter.com/qb4zNa6vUU

— Europäische Bewegung (@NetzwerkEBD) January 30, 2017

The European Movement Germany has been committed to strengthening its Austrian sister organisation for many years. Both the European Movement International and EM Germany benefit from EM Austria’s new orientation in terms of content and communications. The EM Germany published a country page for Austria, listing the Alpine Republic’s social forces, thus contributing to its demand for a stronger “European Public Diplomacy“. This aims at strengthening civil society’s networking and public relations work with other EU and Council of Europe Member States.