Animal slaughter without stunning is forbidden in Austria, although exemptions on religious grounds can be obtained, which is how kosher slaughter can be practiced in the country.
Klaus Schneeberger, the regional leader of ruling Austrian People’s Party of Chancellor Kurz, said, “Of course, nobody will have to register to buy kosher meat. There will be no such thing."
“Austria has a special historical responsibility never to forget the terrible crimes of the Holocaust and is committed to the security of Israel and its citizens,” Kurz wrote in his post.
Though representatives of camp survivors stated it would be "a renewed humiliation" to have members of the party there, the FPO insisted that it has denounced its Nazi roots.
The Austrian Freedom Party, now part of Austria's governing coalition, was founded by a former SS officer in 1956.
If any such plan became law it would apply to girls of up to around the age of 10 years.
Austria, Kurz said, has taken a long time to be “open and honest” about its past, and the country was “not only a victim but also a perpetrator.”
The head of Austria's main Jewish organization expressed skepticism about the government's announcement it hopes to build a commemorative wall that would bear the names of 66,000 Holocaust victims.
The FPO, which was founded by ex-Nazis in the 1950s, came third in last year's parliamentary election.
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