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EU bans Austria The 14 EU partners have imposed sanctions on Austria in order to force the Austrian Freedom Party out of government. By Norbert Lininger.
After the failure of the coalition negotiations between Social Democrats and Conservatives in the beginning of January, the Conservative and the Freedom Party quickly consented to give a future cooperation a try. It took them only ten days to negotiate a coalition pact—without the explicit order of the Federal President. On the contrary, Thomas Klestil made his disapproval of such a constellation as government obvious. After Viktor Klima's failure to establish a minority government, however, Klestil could no longer refuse his assent. The new coalition partners hold a distinct majority in Federal Parliament with 104 out of 183 Members of Parliament. Even at the stage of coalition negotiations warnings arrived from other European nations; warnings against a participation of the Freedom Party under the lead of Jörg Haider in the Austrian Federal Government. They contained the reproach that this party's political standpoint is racist, anit-European and national socialist—above all the standpoint of Chairman Haider. Rumours about Viktor Klima urging his social democrat friends and fellow politicians to protest —after all the majority of the European states is at the moment governed by social democrats—and about Federal President Klestil taking part in this protest campaign certainly would not cease to be heard. Shortly before the inauguration of the new Austrian coalition government of Conservative Party and Freedom Party, the 14 other EU nations have announced through their current chairman, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres, the introduction of sanctions against Austria. Diplomatic relations to Austria should be decreased from a political to a mere administrative level. That means that Austrian Ministers of Parliament would no longer be invited to the so-called Informal Meetings of the respective EU Parliaments. It also means that Austrian ambassadors visiting other countries would strictly have to keep to an administrative level. The Finnish Leader of Government Paavo Lipponen has offered the following explanation of the genesis of sanctions that strict: Thomas Klestil apparently has urged the statesmen to announce the sanctions immediately. Between the EU governments it had at first been unanimous agreement only to threaten Austria with sanctions and negotiate about them later with the Austrian government. Klestil's effort has to be held responsible for an instant enactment of the sanctions without the establishment of a contact to the Viennese government beforehand—that is the content of the Finnish statesman's announcement. On one hand the Federal President has decidedly denied his cooperation with the EU sanctions, on the other hand the Danish and Swedish Prime Ministers have reported such interventions from Vienna as well. Keeping in mind that the former international campaign against Waldheim had also been initiated by Austrians, many believe in a repetition. One commentator said analogously that Austrian socialists always approve of international assistance if the preservation of socialist power is at stake. Even though publicists at home and abroad have expressed their astonishment about the EU partners' measures and have stated their inability to find legal grounds either in the Maastricht treaty or in former EU contracts, the sanctions are still being executed. Legal grounds for the isolation of a EU member because of his forming an unpopular government do not exist anywhere in the legal regulations of the European Union. The suspension of the rights of a EU member is only possible if the principles of freedom and rule of law are "violated gravely and continuously“. Nevertheless Austrian politicians believe not only in a continuation of the sanctions, but in a deterioration of the relations to the other EU nations as well. This does not mean that the sanctions are also supported by the EU Commission. This unprecedented action has therefore been depicted as bilateral private matter of the European Leaders of Government. In a communiqué the EU commissioners explicitly notified the maintenance of the working relations in their entirety. Austria seems put under a kind of political quarantine nevertheless. Additionally a campaign of unequalled vehemence has started against Jörg Haider, who had gained an international reputation as right-wing populist due to his "loose mouth“. In February he made the cover of all international political magazines from Time and Newsweek to the European media. He was accused of racism, xenophobia and an affinity to National Socialism, if not even for being a Nazi himself. Following the motto "Only bad news are good news“, he was played up by the media as the personified "vademecum“. All his affirmations that he was a Democrat and his party had been elected by 27 percent of the Austrians were in vain. In the meantime this Austrian whipping-boy has successfully escaped international critics and media. Jörg Haider has resigned from his position as Chairman of the Freedom Party and he has retreated to his regional assignations in Carinthia as a "simple party member“. The Social Democrats have also lost their Chairman Viktor Klima. In early February he put back his mandate in the Federal Parliament and resigned as Chairman of the Social Democratic Party. The Social Democratic Party as well as the Freedom Party are therefore at the moment conducted by designate party leaders. Head of the Freedom Party is now Susanne Riess-Passer, 39, and head of the Social Democrats Alfred Gusenbauer, also 39. Riess-Passer will be officially elected at the Congress of the Freedom Party in April, Gusenbauer at the Congress of the Social Democratic Party in May. Alfred Gusenbauer has studied law and is the typical party functionary. Apart from his work for the party he never entered a trade. On a journey to Moscow, travelling as Chairman of the Socialist Youth, he kissed the Russian earth on arrival. He is still reproached by the representatives of the two government parties with this faux pas. Anyway, his forthcoming task will not be easy: He shall lead the Social Democratic Party, until now and for the last thirty years part of the Austrian government and source for the chancellor, into the new role of political opposition. And he will have to redeem debts about around 250 million ATS that his party has accumulated during the last years. The party formerly known as the richest party in Austria has developped into the party with the highest debts. The contemporary situation is unequalled. In the late 1940ies the Minister of Interior managed to found the VdU, the Federation of Independents, using several million ATS. In the 1950ies the Freedom Party evolved from this organisation. The Freedom Party always had an affinity to the Social Democrats. Thus their leader Friedrich Peter, former SS-officer, supported Bruno Kreisky's minority government in 1970. And when the Social Democrats lost their absolute majority in the early 80ies, they formed a coalition with the Freedom Party. Only Franz Vranitzky ended this coalition in 1986 and formed a new one with the Conservative Party. The powerful former unionist Franz Olah reproached Vranitzky with this fact in an interview held on the occasion of his 90th birthday. In his point of view Vranitzky started to oust the Freedom Party and further declared Jörg Haider a persona non grata. The Social Democrats lost a great number of votes because of that as the younger people, those between 18 and 30 years of age, had traditionally given their votes rather to the Freedom Party than to the Social Democratic Party. According to him, they also forfeited a part of the pensioners' votes at the last election in October. Under this pressure of displacement the Freedom Party took the chance to grow. Now Austria is being banned by Europe—Olah said that Vranitzky has to be blamed for this situation. Susanne Riess-Passer, also a jurist, now faces the difficult task of disentangling the Freedom Party from its assumed anti-European and racist standpoint, as the opponents in the EU—especially Belgium, but France and Germany as well—threaten to increase the sanctions. Belgium's Foreign Minister Louis Michel even announced that Austria is to stay under quarantine as long as the Freedom Party remains part of government. In another context Michel even steps further: He declares that all his efforts will be directed to the overthrow of the Austrian government. Austria is being reproached with xenophobia and racism. These reproaches are exacted even though Austria is the European country with the biggest number of foreigners living in the country. More than 1 million foreigners compared to a total number of 8 million inhabitants—this equals eleven percent. Spain in comparison has a quota of 2 percent, France and Germany under 4 percent. Finland, for example, has incorporated 500 Bosnian refugees whereas Austria has welcomed 80.000. Keeping these figures and the fact in mind that Austria can take pride in the most stable democracy within the EU, the General Director of the ORF of many years, Gerd Bacher, states analogously, that the EU is suffering from political delusion. In a guest comment in the newspaper "Die Presse“ he writes: "Austria now is the scapegoat of a grotesque International, thrashing on our country out of various motives and interests. Our hope can not be the truth, but rather the emergence of the next scapegoat.“ And further: "The smaller EU nations should take the advice to insist on the principle of unanimity; otherwise they will defencelessly be at the mercy of ideologic paranoia.“ While opposition politicians, a potential of 15 percent of the inhabitants and many artists are vehemently attacking the government and organizing demonstrations, the majority of the inhabitants is staying surprisingly calm. According to the latest opinion polls, 60 percent of the Austrians are demanding to let the government do its work at last. More than 70 percent are voting for remaining in the EU in spite of the sanctions. The Austrians are already used to the various advantages granted by the EU and do not want to do without them in future. A considerable majority also declares itself for the introduction of the Euro in 2002. The new government did not have a good start, even chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel admits to that. But he holds jointly responsible the extraordinary circumstances and the vehement pressure at home and abroad, and he promises that this government will make its successful history in the forthcoming three years. International observers and jurists are now distinctly criticising the EU's forgetfulness of the "Exit Strategy“ when it introduced sanctions against Austria. It has already become apparent that the EU nations are at a loss concerning the further intercourse with naughty Austria. The new Federal Government is now letting time work for itself and is patiently awaiting the EU leaders' conduct concerning the big decisions like Eastern Expansion and strengthening of the community. The EU sanctions are, however, historic if not legally justified. In his comment in the newspaper "Kurier“ Alfred Payrleitner writes: "One thing is for sure: This year 2000 will become Austrian history with a similar significance like 1945 (end of war), 1955 (Austrian state treaty) or 1955 (joining the EU).“ And further: "This year it has become clear for all of us what we opted for five years ago: For an extensive renunciation of our sovereignty.“ Austria is now considered as the punished outcast within the EU. Whether this status shall remain the same in future is in the hands of the Austrians themselves and their views on their state, their democracy, their government. Anyway, according to the findings of opinion researchers, the current attitude gives good reason for optimism. |