(JTA) — Austria’s Jewish community has called on a right-wing politician to withdraw his candidacy for reelection to the European Union Parliament after he called Nazi Germany more liberal than the E.U.

Andreas Moelzer, who is a candidate from the far-right Freedom Party for the European Parliament, was quoted by Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper as saying that the Nazi’s Third Reich “certainly did not have as many rules and regulations, commandments and bans” as the E.U. and that the Third Reich looks more “informal and liberal” by comparison, according to Reuters.

The comments were made last month in Vienna, but just came to light on Monday.

Austrian Jewish leader Oskar Deutsch on Monday called on Moelzer to withdraw his candidacy.

“Such people may not represent Austria in Europe, so Moelzer should draw the consequences and withdraw his candidacy,” Deutsch said in a statement, Reuters reported.

Moelzer said in a statement that he condemned the Hitler regime and that he was not trying to minimize Nazi atrocities.

The election for the European Parliament is scheduled for May; the Freedom Party is expected to make a good showing.

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