A member of the Austrian Parliament advised Christians in politics to stand firm in their morals and witness faithfully and sacrificially during a talk in the Wilcox Reading Room hosted by the President’s Office Sept. 29. 

“I have done this public ministry always trying to serve God,” Gudrun Kugler said. “It’s not easy, and I’m not always doing it in a perfect way by far, but I try to ask God’s opinion, and I try to walk with God.” 

The talk, titled “Christians and Politics — Mission Impossible?” began with Kugler arguing that Europe and the United States should be united because they share Western culture. Kugler is a mother of four and speaker for Human Rights and Displaced Persons for the Austrian center-right People’s Party.

“I am a European politician, but together, we are united by a common Western identity and Western civilization,” Kugler said. 

Kugler is the Special Representative for Demographic Change and Security, and the Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. She also leads the Austrian National Prayer Breakfast and is on the board of the European Prayer Breakfast.

Kugler acknowledged several problems in Europe including the mental health crisis, but she said that there were reasons for hope in Europe, and rejected the common notion that “Europe is lost.” 

“You can see also a renewal of faith,” Kugler said. “Let me just give you a few numbers. In France, the most secular country we have in Europe, we had in the Easter Vigil this year 18,000 adult baptisms.” 

In the second half of her talk, Kugler gave five lessons she learned as a Christian in politics. In the first lesson, Kugler said that it is possible to be a politician without compromising her Christian morals. 

“Power corrupts, but not always, and it does not have to corrupt you,” Kugler said. “And it needs a few people of light that are not corruptable. Politics needs more than anything virtuous people, virtuous politicians. It also needs a virtuous electorate. Otherwise, democracy does not work. Democracy without virtues is not possible.” 

Kugler’s second lesson emphasized focusing on what was possible for her to accomplish. She said that she has a list of 10 things she wants to change in politics. Even though she can accomplish only five goals out of the 10, she said the effort is worthwhile.

“Two, I can move. Three, I can prevent. Five, I lose,” Kugler said. “Now, is that good or bad? Be honest, it’s great. It’s great because this is the whole country I’m talking about. I wanted to have 10 things, but I got five.” 

In the third lesson, Kugler told two stories about the influence she has witnessed prayer have on fellow politicians at prayer breakfast meetings. 

“Whatever you do in a political context, understand that it’s not just your professional work, it’s also your personal witness that is absolutely necessary,” Kugler said. 

Kugler drew her fourth lesson from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who was exiled from the Soviet Union because he refused to continue lying. 

“Promise to yourself whatever you do in public office, never to knowingly support a lie,” Kugler said. “It will be difficult enough, I can tell you.”

In the fifth lesson, Kugler referenced a book called “To Change the World,” written by James Davidson Hunter. In the book, Hunter concluded that the best thing to do is found an institution. Hunter said Christians, no matter their vocation, must give everything sacrificially. By doing this, they will change the world, make others happy, and make themselves happy, according to Kugler. 

“The world has changed through faithful presence, that’s the key,” Kugler said. “Take this with you for whatever you do, politics or not. Faithful presence means to walk the extra mile. What it means is you do what you have to do the best possible. You will give everything.” 

Senior Drew Bennett, a politics student, said he attended the talk because he was interested in hearing about politics and Christianity. 

“One of the things I took was that you don’t necessarily have to speak out for something that you can be doing, but not cheering for and not supporting something that you would find morally objectionable is a requirement,” Bennett said. 

Junior Claire Pipher, who works in the President’s Office, said she enjoyed hearing from Kugler’s wisdom and experience.

“She brought listeners into the mission throughout and made it sound attainable,” Pipher said. “She had a lot of hope about the state of politics despite acknowledging the problems. It was hopeful.”