(ANSA) - BRUSSELS, 29 JAN - Today the European Union replied to the Austrian minister of Interior of the far-right party Fpoe Herbert Kickl's criticism on European Convention on Human Rights. "The European Convention of Human Rights is much larger than the EU, involves 48 Member States that are signatories, and Austria is one of them", said an EU spokesperson. Last week, Kickl picked on the convention, calling it "a strange and dated legal structure" and calling into question the rules.

Brussels "will reply in due course" to the minister, who sent a letter to the Commissioner for Migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, addressing issues concerning asylum and the rule of law.

According to Kickl, "the law should follow politics and politics the law". His remarks caused a stir up in Austria, the opposition asked him to step down, and criticisms were raised also by the German Minister of Justice, Katarina Barley. (ANSA).