§ Dr. Julian LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy was in relation to(a) the imposition of, and (b) the lifting of sanctions against Austria. [135040]
§ Mr. VazThe measures were introduced in February by Austria's EU partners to send a clear signal of our concern at the inclusion of a far-right party in the Austrian Government. I shared the analysis in the 8 September report by the Wise Men that the measures had been successful in influencing the Austrian Government to uphold common democratic values and in energising Austrian civil society, but that the measures would become counterproductive if continued. The Government therefore decided, together with our other EU partners, to lift the measures on 12 September, while remaining vigilant in relation to the Freedom Party.