VIENNA, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has taken a tough stance on migration and asylum as his centre-right People's Party (OVP) gears up for the Sept. 29 election.
During the OVP election campaign on Tuesday, Kurz said Austrian society had changed "massively" as a result of immigration, and that his party would like to implement measures to preserve an Austrian identity, local newspaper Krone reported.
Kurz, presently favored to resume his former role in current polls, cited the tackling of illegal immigration and amendments to guaranteed minimum income as part of the plans.
In addition, he intends to implement a taskforce targeted at social benefits, in particular to better record and connect their various types in order to identify any misuse.
He also called for a "clear commitment" to Austria's culture and tradition, in particular the country's prevailing Christian culture, including the presence of crosses in school classrooms.
Other measures cited by the OVP leader included regular job fairs for people entitled to asylum, a ban on under-age marriage, and a cut to social benefit payouts in the event of neglecting certain parental obligations.
