History of the call

The government formation negotiations between the FPÖ and ÖVP were the reason for this appeal. The initiative was born out of concern for democracy and the freedom of science in Austria. In its election manifesto and in numerous statements by its representatives, the FPÖ questions liberal democracy and wants to suspend the rule of law. This includes the fact that the FPÖ repeatedly expresses anti-scientific positions. Finally, Maximilian Gottschlich’s article in the daily newspaper “der Standard[1]” on January 26, 2025 provided the impetus to take concrete action. He criticized the fact that universities and academics were hardly taking a vocal stance on the impending government constellation and doing little to defend democracy, while the “danger of the democratic constitutional state being transformed into an illiberal autocracy has never been as great as it is today”.

We, some researchers who know each other from critical science and queer-feminist research contexts, drafted a text, got support from our network and started to find supporters for the open letter at the end of January 2025. The appeal was supported by “Diskurs. The Science Network” and “Scientists for Future”. Within a week, not only 180 initial signatories supported the letter, but a further 1,500 colleagues at universities, colleges and non-university research institutions throughout Austria. There are representatives from various disciplines – from medicine to mathematics, from physics to philology, from art to microbiology – and from all career levels. With three Wittgenstein Prize winners and numerous personalities from the highest levels of management – from deans and (vice) rectors – the urgency of the matter is clear. Where democratic principles and fundamental values are called into question, people of different political convictions show solidarity for the common cause of preserving the diversity of society and the diversity of science.

[1] https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000254233/keine-rettung-in-sicht