FPÖ politician Fabian Walch faces backlash over school children's names post

Fabian Walch, an FPÖ politician in Innsbruck, has faced intense criticism following an Instagram post featuring a list of first names of students from a local compulsory school. While surnames and other identifying details were redacted, the first names remained visible.

In the post, Walch suggested that schools represent a “look into the future” and claimed that residents of Innsbruck could become a minority in their own city unless “remigration” is initiated. This has led to accusations of racism and political misconduct from various parties. The Tyrolean Greens described the incident as a “racism scandal,” with integration spokesperson Zeliha Arslan stating that the FPÖ is openly threatening children with expulsion. The SPÖ and Innsbruck Deputy Mayor Elisabeth Mayr also condemned the post, labeling it a serious political transgression.

Walch has denied the allegations, stating that his call for “remigration” refers to the return of individuals residing illegally in Austria or foreign nationals who have committed crimes, rather than the deportation of children. He maintained that the post was intended to highlight a problematic demographic development.