Student union expels candidate over photo with far-right symbol

Vienna's student union has expelled a candidate from the regional student representative election after a photograph surfaced showing him with another individual making a far-right salute. The ÖVP-affiliated student organization announced the expulsion on Wednesday.

The photo, reportedly taken in 2024, depicts the candidate in a group setting where another person is seen displaying a symbol associated with right-wing extremism. The student union emphasized its firm stance against such ideologies.

"It is important for us to make it clear: far-right ideology has no place in the student union, and we do not accept such things, even when they happen outside our club context," stated Maximilian Pech, the head of the student union.

The candidate was running for the regional student representation in Vienna, an election that concluded on Monday. The emergence of the photograph has led to his disqualification from the electoral process, highlighting the organization's commitment to maintaining a zero-tolerance policy towards extremism within its ranks.