Berlusconi Party Celebrates Austrian Right-Wing Victory of Kurz, Strache

Former long-time serving Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s party Forza Italia celebrated the victory of the right-wing parties in Austria saying a “centre-right-wing wind is blowing through the European Union”.

The former Italian Prime Minister’s party congratulated 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz on his victory Sunday. Berlseconi slammed the left-wing parties saying that the election proved their ideology was failing and hit out against the foreign policy of recent left-wing leaders, Kurier reports.

Forza Italia parliamentarian Michaela Biancofiore said that Sebastian Kurz had based his campaign on “healthy principles and national values”.

“This is a source of concern in an Italy that has opened up to all the migrants and renounced its Christian values and traditions,” he added.

Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano also congratulated Kurz on his win saying on Twitter: “Italy and Austria together for a strong and united EU.”

Congratulazioni a @sebastiankurz,collega nel PPE e al CAE,per il suo successo elettorale. Italia e Austria insieme per una UE unita e forte.

— Angelino Alfano (@angealfa) October 15, 2017

The Italian anti-mass migration populist Lega Nord said that the election victory of Kurz, as well as the strong showing by the Freedom Party (FPÖ), was a wake-up call for the Italian establishment.

Tony Iwobi, the foreign policy spokesman of the Lega Nord, said: “Kurz’s election victory makes it clear: the parties wanting border controls and a regulated immigration win, voters want to make clear rules and conclude the invasion of economic immigrants.”

Earlier this year, Italy had become the focal point for mass illegal migration into Europe with tens of thousands of illegal migrants pouring into the country from North Africa.

The Italian government eventually decided to step in and take charge of the situation by funding the Libyan coastguard and putting pressure on migrant rescue NGOs operating ships off the Libyan coast.

While some have claimed that the Italians have been giving money to former people smugglers to keep them from sending more people, the end result has been a dramatic decrease in migration since earlier in the year.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com