Draft:Gunther Fehlinger

Günther Fehlinger (born August 23, 1968 in Linz) is an Austrian economic and political consultant and current secretary general of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) of the European People's Party (EPP). He is also the head of several non-governmental organizations.

Günther Fehlinger is a supporter of the enlargement of the European Union and NATO. He has built a reputation on the internet due to his rhetoric and Atlanticist activism on X, on which he is very active. He has attracted significant controversy for his advocacy for interference in regional affairs, his repeated calls to break countries apart, and his anti-Serbian views.

Günther Fehlinger
Fehlinger in 2025
Born	August 23, 1968 (age 57) Linz, Austria
Citizenship	Austria
Political party	European People's Party
Movement	Liberal Internationalism

Biography

Early life & education

Günther Fehlinger was born on 23 août 1968 in the Austrian town of Linz. His father was deputy editor of the Linzer Volksblatt. He attended Khevenhüller Gymnasium Linz High School from 1979 to 1988 before serving in the Austrian Armed Forces as a reserve lieutenant from 1988 to 1989. He studied at the Vienna University of Economics & Business from October octobre 1989 to septembre 1998 1998, where he obtained a Master's degree in International Business, with a specialization in Management and Human Resources.

Political views

Fehlinger is a proponent of a liberal internationalist order. He is a staunch opponent of socialism, Irish, Serbian and Arab nationalism, and Shia Islam.

Fehlinger opposed Sinn Féin and Irish reunification, accusing Sinn Féin of being a pro-Russian

He supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the NATO intervention in Libya in 2011, considering them successes because they eliminated Ghaddafi, whom he believed to be a socialist, and Ba'athist Iraq, which he considered to be a genocidal dictatorship.

He opposed Donald Trump's proposals to acquire Greenland on behalf of the United States in 2025 and 2026, going so far as to propose the seizure of U.S. bases in Europe if the United States attacked Greenland.

Controversies

Fehlinger's role as a leader of a pro-NATO NGO has led to misunderstandings that he speaks on behalf of the military alliance itself. Following a tweet in which Fehlinger called on Armenian President Nikol Pashinian to join NATO and then-President of the United States Joe Biden to protect Armenia, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan said Fehlinger was simply the head of a non-governmental organization with the word "NATO” in the name.

Proposed Division of Brazil, Iran, Nigeria, China and Syria

On August 23, 2023, following Brazil’s participation in the 15th BRICS summit, Fehlinger said in response that if President Lula “led Brazil in the same direction as Russia, China and Iran” and joined a “hostile axis of genocide,” he would “call for Brazil’s dismantling.” Fehlinger has included a map that represents the division of Brazil into four fragmented states with their respective regimes: the Amazon, the "Pedronia”, Recife, and Brazil.

After his post went viral, Fehlinger became the target of false allegations in comments attributing his tweet to an official NATO position, with Reuters reporting that a video making such allegations had acquired over 250,000 views on Facebook. In a statement, Fehlinger said on X that he "does not represent NATO" in an official capacity and that "NATO does not intend to dismember Brazil or any other country." A NATO statement further stated that “any allegation that NATO is considering invading or dividing Brazil is total nonsense.

Anti-Macedonian views

He demanded that North Macedonia abolish the holidays that Bulgaria considers provocative, such as the Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary Wrestling and the Day of the Macedonian Popular Uprising, and that North Macedonia begin to celebrate April 4th as NATO Day.

Anti-Serb views

Fehlinger is known for his anti-Serb opinions that he posts on social media. He demanded that Serbia recognize the independence of Kosovo and Scotland, impose sanctions on Russia, that the Ukrainian flag be hung on the Serbian presidency building in Belgrade and that the Tito Hotel be renamed the Merkel Hotel. During his visit to Belgrade, he published a photo in which he held a NATO flag. The publication angered both the Serbian public and diaspora, after which his telephone number and address in Vienna were made public. After the event, Fehlinger said throughout the night he received threatening messages from angered Serbians.

Popular Culture

Gunther Fehlinger appeared in the The Fire Rises mod of the video game Hearts of Iron IV. He is playable as president of the European Union, which allows players to pursue his policies in the game.