Haider: 'Get rid of foreigners'

Haider, again causing controversy by his attitude to foreigners

VIENNA, Austria -- Joerg Haider, the brains behind the far-right Freedom Party, has caused further controversy after calling for a "thorough getting rid of" foreigners from Austria.

Austrian Vice-Chancellor Susanne Riess-Passer has been called in to try and defuse the situation after the comment by her fellow far-right politician.

Haider made the statement to the Freedom Party faithful in Vienna on Friday evening, when he added that Austrians should be empowered to choose who comes to live in the wealthy Alpine republic.

"There are way too many illegals, far too many drug dealers... and it must be our job to bring about a thorough getting rid of (them)," the 50-year-old said.

Haider, who bowed out as leader of the far right in May but remains its leading light, is best known abroad for remarks in the past be-belittling the crimes of the Nazis, for which he has since apologised.

Riess-Passer, who replaced Haider at the helm, said her colleague's latest comments had been misinterpreted.

"He was not referring to the elimination of foreigners, but to the elimination of the problem," she said on Austrian state television.

"And I forbid this insinuation that the Freedom Party is hounding foreigners."

Haider's populist rhetoric sparked outrage from the opposition, especially as it comes at a time when Austria is trying to polish its tarnished image abroad.

Austria's 14 European Union partners slapped bilateral diplomatic sanctions on it in protest at the entry into a coalition government of Haider's party. The sanctions were lifted last month.

President of Parliament Heinz Fischer, an opposition Social Democrat, said Haider's speech was the antithesis of European values of equality for people irrespective of faith and social standing.

"Haider was appealing to the negative side of people and in his usual way stoked emotions, created the concept of the enemy and strengthened prejudices," he said in a statement.

Haider's speech before 2,000 people at the Vienna Stadthalle marked the start of the Freedom Party's campaign for next year's Vienna council elections.

At last year's general election, the Vienna arm of the party campaigned on a blatant anti-immigrant platform, using slogans warning of "overpopulation by foreigners."

The party is smarting from its worst defeat since Haider became leader in 1986, having seen its support at last weekend's Styrian regional election shaved by a third to 12.4 percent.

It was the first test of the new centre-right coalition as well as the first in 14 years without Haider as party leader.

His party scored 29 percent in last year's general election.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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