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Thread 3691

Thread ID: 3691 | Posts: 4 | Started: 2002-11-26

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Centinel [OP]

2002-11-26 01:16 | User Profile

From The Times of London, available online at: [url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-493047,00.html]http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-...-493047,00.html[/url]

November 26, 2002

Haider to quit politics after election defeat

By Roger Boyes

JÖRG HAIDER, one of Europe’s most flamboyant far right-wing populists, announced his withdrawal from Austrian politics yesterday, after the crushing election defeat of his Freedom Party on Sunday.

“I am deeply hurt by the result and see it as an expression of distrust towards me,” he said, offering to resign from his one remaining public position — the governorship of the province of Carinthia.

The enfant terrible of right-wing Europe, who led Vienna’s coalition Government to be ostracised by its European partners in 1999, announced his resignation with a dramatic flourish that overshadowed all other post-election horse trading.

However, his move makes the formation of a new Austrian Government somewhat simpler. The conservative People’s Party (OVP) of Wolfgang Schüssel, the Chancellor, won 42.3 per cent of the vote, an unprecedented shift of sympathies. But he needs to find a coalition partner. A tamed, humiliated Freedom Party without Herr Haider is the logical ally.

The Freedom Party lost more than 16 per cent of its support and scraped barely 10 per cent at the general election — enough to keep Herr Schüssel comfortably in power, but not enough to pose a serious challenge.

The big question is the sincerity of Herr Haider’s resignation. His previous resignations — for example, from the party leadership in May 2000 — have been either tactical steps, or have been forced upon him. He previously stepped down from the post of Carinthia’s Governor after making controversial comments praising Hitler’s employment policies.

This time, it could be prompted by genuine hurt. The Freedom Party lost about 15 per cent in his home state, too, and Herr Haider admitted that he was shocked.

“If you have spent so many years building up a party and then get presented with a bill like this, well, then you have to know what decision to take,” he told Austrian radio. Asked whether he could change his mind, he said: “That will be very difficult.”

However, Herr Haider may be plotting a different kind of comeback, counting on popular discontent about the eastward enlargement of Europe and a possible war with Iraq.

There seem to be three options open to him: to set up a new opposition movement attacking the supposed corruption of the political class; to stay in the Freedom Party and secure a seat in the European Parliament; or to weave a European network of like-minded rightists. There have been reports of secret meetings in Carinthia aimed at creating a coherent far-right programme for Europe.

Herr Haider, still only 52, relatively wealthy and very fit, is capable of taking on any, or indeed all, of these missions.

For the time being, though, his resignation is being taken at face value. Susanne Riess-Passer, the former Vice-Chancellor of Austria, said: “Haider wanted it this way. He needed 13 years to build up everything and around 13 weeks to destroy it all.”

Frau Riess-Passer was once a close confidante of Herr Haider, but, when she started to share responsibility for power, as deputy to Herr Schüssel, it became increasingly clear that she had to make a clean break from him.

The Freedom Party was split between those who believed that it should govern and those who believed, like Herr Haider, that it should give voice to the disgruntled voters. The party imploded. Herr Haider may now be calculating that the 16 per cent who deserted him on Sunday are in fact supporters who can form the germ of a new movement.

Herr Schüssel, commissioned by President Klestil yesterday to search for a new government, sees the defections as a vote of confidence in mainstream conservatism and a statement of dismay at Herr Haider’s leadership.

He might yet find an ally in parties other than the Freedom Party. The Social Democrats, who came second with 36.9 per cent, seem, however, to have ruled out a revival of the centre-left alliance that ruled Austria for much of the post-war period until 2000. “At the end of the day, the Social Democrats will be in opposition,” Alfred Gusenbauer, the party leader, said.

Fliegende Hollander

2002-11-26 01:35 | User Profile

Natuerlich. You can't keep up a racialist populist movement by sharing some piwer and then becoming a bunch of apologetic wusses failing to deliver to your constituents. Object lesson for all who would follow in his footsteps.

amundsen

2002-11-26 04:46 | User Profile

Originally posted by Fliegende Hollander@Nov 25 2002, 20:35 Natuerlich. You can't keep up a racialist populist movement by sharing some piwer and then becoming a bunch of apologetic wusses failing to deliver to your constituents.

                People naturally want to be led.  They want strong leaders who exude confidence.  They rally behind such men.  A leader that wont stand for his principles, wont stand for his people.  And the people themselves know this.

Centinel

2002-11-26 08:29 | User Profile

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2511027.stm]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2511027.stm[/url]

Haider withdraws offer to quit

Tuesday, 26 November, 2002, 07:24 GMT

Maverick far-right Austrian politician, Joerg Haider, has said he will remain in politics, despite the disastrous performance of his Freedom Party in Sunday's general election.

His decision followed a six-hour meeting with senior members of his party, and means he will not step down as governor of the Carinthia region despite offering his resignation.

"I accept personally much of the responsibility for the bad [election] results," he told the Austria Press Agency.

"Thus a resignation would have been the logical consequence.

"But my party friends did not accept this because they believe my Carinthian way is good and I should continue."

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