On the weekend of September 14th and 15th, Will Donahue, the President of the College Republicans of America (CRA), expanded CRA's international network by hosting European Parliament and Freedom Party of Austria member Harald Vilimsky and his delegation at Notre Dame. 

Some of the work that Vilimsky does in the European Parliament includes serving as a member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs, and Delegation for Relations with the United States, as well as a substitute member for the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, the Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee, and the Delegation for relations with Japan.

The Freedom Party, of which Mr. Vilimsky is a member, is the most conservative party in Austria and one of the most effective right-wing parties in Europe.

When asked about the meeting, President Donahue said he was jovial about the new ties with the right-leaning youth groups of Austria, saying it constituted a new link in CRA's ever-expanding European network.

“This meeting with Austrian MEP Harald Vilimsky was an important step towards building a comprehensive alliance between the conservative youth groups of our respective nations. We were very grateful that Mr. Vilimsky took time out of his busy schedule in the United States to meet me at Notre Dame with his delegation.”

Donahue said that one of the topics discussed was the opportunities for CRA students to work in the European Parliament as exchange students, among other opportunities.

“Topics of discussion included creating an inaugural youth summit next year, an exchange student program, and internship opportunities to work in political roles in each other’s nations," Donahue said. "We're excited to see what we can do for each other's students."