Austria's Haider attacks Chirac and Schroeder

Joerg Haider: "Napoleons always end at Waterloo"

VIENNA (Reuters) -- Austrian far-right leader Joerg Haider lashed out at the leaders of France and Germany after a report by three EU "wise men" called for sanctions against the Austrian government to be lifted.

European Commission President Romano Prodi said the report's advice that maintaining the sanctions would be counter-productive could not be ignored.

In a combative interview with Austria's Format magazine, Haider said the report represented a "debacle" and a "Waterloo" for French President Jacques Chirac, one of the far-right Austrian coalition's fiercest critics.

Haider said he did not regret calling Chirac a "pocket-sized Napoleon" earlier this year, adding: "Napoleons always end at Waterloo."

Austria's 14 EU partners froze bilateral contacts with Vienna in February after the Freedom Party, then led by the controversial Haider, entered a coalition with Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel's conservatives.

As the impasse threatened to impede important EU reforms needed to prepare the bloc for enlargement, the EU-appointed three experts to study the new government's human rights record and examine the nature of the anti-immigration Freedom Party.

The report presented on Friday, which Austria hopes will pave the way for the lifting of the sanctions, said Austria's protection of the rights of immigrants and minorities was as good as in other EU countries and in some respects better.

But it accused the Freedom Party of using "xenophobic or even racist" language.

Romano Prodi: "Can't ignore report"

Haider, provincial governor of Carinthia who quit as Freedom Party leader in May but remains its dominant personality, was unperturbed by the wise men's characterisation of his grouping as "a right wing populist party with radical elements."

At a news conference on Saturday, he said his party was undoubtedly on the centre-right and the original Latin root of the word "populist" simply meant close to the people.

"I have never made any secret of the fact that I regard the charge of being a populist as a distinction," he said.

The wise men's report had contained "not one line of criticism of government policy" and Austria's 14 partners should have the courage to end the sanctions.

"They should have courage to say 'we have done you an injustice and we will lift these sanctions immediately,"' Haider added.

In the Format interview, Haider said German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had played a "very regrettable role" in the sanctions.

"He believed that by throwing dirt at Austria he could distract attention from Germany's historic burden," he said.

"That shows what sort of personality we are dealing with."

The wise men's report, presented to Chirac in his capacity as holder of the EU's rotating presidency, appeared carefully constructed to ensure all sides saved face.

Schuessel won the vindication he sought, while criticism of the Freedom Party was muted enough to be acceptable to its leaders.

In a sop to Austria's critics, especially Chirac, the report said the sanctions had been effective in intensifying the government's efforts to uphold European values.

France was expected to begin consultations with the other 13 countries over the weekend on what to do next. Schuessel said he hoped sanctions could be lifted very soon.

The "wise men" -- international lawyer Jochen Frowein of Germany, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari and former Spanish foreign minister Marcelino Oreja -- said their considered view was "that the Austrian Government is committed to the common European values."

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EU panel calls for end to Austria sanctions
September 8, 2000

Republic of Austria
European Union
ORF Radio (in German)
Freedom Party (FPO)

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