Tearful, disappointed fans entertaining themselves with their favourite songs from their idol, Taylor Swift—these are the videos and pictures that have been circulating online following the cancellation of three concerts by the world-famous American singer in Vienna this week. The events were cancelled due to the threat of a terrorist attack. Austrian authorities uncovered the plan and arrested two youths, one of whom had sworn allegiance to Islamic State and was planning to carry out a suicide attack at the concert venue.
According to Euractiv, this reflects a broader trend across Europe where young people are becoming radicalized through social media. Peter Neumann, a security expert at King’s College London, noted that the number of planned jihadist terrorist attacks has risen dramatically in the last ten months, with nearly two-thirds of those involved being teenagers. ‘I call them TikTok jihadists, although it’s not just TikTok,’ Neumann emphasized, pointing to the video platform’s young users and their exposure to algorithm-based content, while also mentioning the role of encrypted chat services like Telegram.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced on Friday that a third Islamist had been arrested in connection with the planned attack,
an 18-year-old Iraqi man who had pledged allegiance to Islamic State
two days before the first Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. The individual is a refugee with protected status in Austria. The other two young people arrested are of Northern Macedonian and Croatian-Turkish origin.
Once again, these events highlight a problem that the liberal European elite in the West is failing to adequately address—illegal migration and its serious consequences. The vast majority of jihadist youth radicalized on social media are either from second or third generation immigrant families or have arrived in Europe during recent immigration waves.
The issue has also been highlighted by Balázs Orbán, the political director of the Hungarian Prime Minister, who published a post on X and also on Facebook regarding the events. ‘The problem is not just the influx of illegal and undocumented refugees into Europe, but also the spread of radical Islamism in Europe, which is only growing stronger as a result,’ he pointed out. He added that both issues share a common factor:
the inaction of the liberal elites in Western Europe.
‘To live in a peaceful and safe Europe, where we can send our children to a Taylor Swift concert, for example, without any sense of danger, we need a fundamental change in the Western attitude towards the future of our society and culture.’ On Facebook, he concluded by stating: ‘It should finally be recognized that a return to Judaeo–Christian foundations is the key to Europe’s greatness.’
"I knew you were trouble when you walked in…" — Taylor Swift's Vienna concerts are canceled due to #terror threats.
— Balázs Orbán (@BalazsOrban_HU) August 8, 2024
🚨🚨🚨
The liberal Western elite fails to address #illegal #migration and the spread of #radical #Islamism.
For a safe #Europe without fear, we must return… pic.twitter.com/jPDcuYOqUH
The solution is straightforward and doesn’t require a new approach. Since 2015, Hungary has consistently pursued its tried and tested strategy: closing borders to illegal migrants and providing assistance to address the root causes of migration locally. In contrast, the Brussels position remains unchanged. The new migration pact continues to impose a mandatory quota on Member States, with extraordinary fines for those who do not comply. The new pact offers governments three options for dealing with asylum seekers: relocating a certain number of asylum seekers, paying €20,000 for each asylum seeker refused, or financing operational support. The initial target is 30,000 transfers per year.
Not long ago, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ordered Hungary to pay €200 million for failing to implement changes to its policy on handling migrants and asylum seekers at its borders. Additionally, the ECJ imposed a penalty of one million euros for each day of delay in complying with the rules.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called the decision outrageous and unacceptable, emphasizing that it appears illegal migrants are more important to Brussels bureaucrats than their own European citizens.
Related articles:
