EU Strips Member States of Power Claims Austria's EU Exit Campaign

According to a representative of a non-partisan committee in Austria’s Heimat & Umwelt civic initiative, EU enforces its laws on all member states, depriving them of sovereignty.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The European Union enforces its laws on all member states, depriving them of sovereignty, a representative of a non-partisan committee in Austria’s Heimat & Umwelt (Homeland and Environment) civic initiative, Inge Rauscher, told Sputnik Radio.

“We are not any longer a sovereign state in the European Union. Over 80 percent of all essential legislation is being imposed by Brussels, not by elected commissioners. In our view, Europe is not a democracy. The European Parliament does not even have legislative powers,” Rauscher said, adding that the Austrian people want to determine their own policy without external influence.

Rauscher dismissed concerns that Austria could sustain economic losses if it leaves the eurozone.

“Just compare to Switzerland. Switzerland has had a trade surplus over the past several years, and now it is reaching record figures,” Rauscher said, adding that Austria has been suffering trade deficits because of EU membership.

“We import more than export. If we leave the European Union, this trend will reverse,” Rauscher said.

Heimat & Umwelt's initiative on Austria’s potential EU exit will be voted on between June 24 and July 1. If 100,000 signatures are gathered in the specified period, it will be considered in the lower house of the Austria’s parliament.