Electronic Telegraph: EU thrown into crisis by threats to Austria; financial markets rattled

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From today's edition:

EU thrown into crisis by threats to Austria By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in Brussels

15,000 protest over Haider coalition role

THE European Union was headed for crisis last night as Austrian leaders moved closer to including the far-Right Freedom Party in government in the face of growing threats from EU member governments.

Hubert Vidrine, the French Foreign Minister, said that Austria could be "suspended" from the EU for failure to ensure the protection of fundamental rights, threatening the most severe sanction available to EU members for use against a fellow state.

But there is growing irritation in Brussels that the Portuguese presidency of the EU continues to present the action of the 14 states as if it were an official EU policy when, in fact, it has no legal basis under EU treaty law and is taking place outside the formal structure of the EU. The unprecedented decision of the EU governments to meddle so openly in the internal politics of a democratic sovereign state drew intense criticism in the European Parliament yesterday.

The European People's Party, the majority conservative party, denounced the threats against Austria as foolish, unwarranted, and possibly illegal, and said it "would support the Austrian government" if it were to include Jvrg Haider's party. The party's stance raises the possibility that the European Parliament, the EU's only elected body, could ultimately disavow the actions of EU governments.

Edward McMillan-Scott, leader of the Tory MEPs, said: "We reject absolutely the underlying philosophy, programme and tone of Austria's Freedom Party. But not a word was said by these same EU governments about coalitions involving fellow-travelling communists in the French or Italian governments, or in German state governments, or even the British government's willingness to promote those with terrorist associations as ministers in Northern Ireland today."

Romano Prodi, the president of the European Commission, continued to play a balancing act between the demands of the 14 member governments and the constraints of EU law, which allows the commission to take action under the provisions of the Amsterdam Treaty only when there are "serious and persistent breaches" of human rights.

The crisis is already starting to rattle the financial markets, which are afraid that Austria might use its vote at the Council of Ministers to paralyse all EU business. Yesterday, the international credit rating agency, Standard and Poor's, said that it was re-evaluating Austria's AAA credit-rating in the light of developments.

In a speech to the European Parliament, Mr Prodi politely reminded Europe's governments that "the treaties set out precise mechanisms for ensuring the principles of the union are respected". The commission says its own dealings with Vienna are not affected and will not be affected until and unless there is a concrete violation of the treaty.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), February 03, 2000

Answers

Sounds like some governments don't like one political party in a coalition government. Tough! Some of the Austrian political parties probably don't like them much, either. But...effective democracy requires working with people you don't particularly like, or even admire. Imagine if we did that in the USA...several states would be shunned due to their elected leaders...because someone doesn't like the leaders that the people chose!

It is the other, critical countries which are at fault here...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), February 03, 2000.


I think what really bothers me about this, is that seems like some perversion of political correctness. Europe has been buried under leftists and other collectivists for so long that anybody to the right of Chairman Mao looks like a totalitarian thug. One can't help but wonder if all this fuss and bother would be happening if Austria had elected a full fledged Communist government.

After all, it WAS a proper election...vox popoli...the people of Austria have spoken.

-- Irving (irvingf@myremarq.com), February 03, 2000.


BBC Joerg Haider quotes

-- Guido (lifeisbe@uti.ful), February 03, 2000.

If Samuel Clemens had thought of it, he would have said that the words "Europe" and "union" could not be functionally associated in a sentence. Nowadays we simply see the phrase "European Union" as an oxymoron.

Oxymoron: n., a word, statement, or phrase which is seemingly self- contradictory. As in "pretty ugly," "holy war," "jumbo shrimp," "old news," "unusual routine."

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), February 03, 2000.


"After all, it WAS a proper election...vox populi...the people of Austria have spoken."

Hitler was elected in a 'proper election"...

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), February 03, 2000.



I have been watching the EU for a while, expecting that sooner or later they would get to a juncture, and the French would simply demonstrate a Gaulic shrug, the Germans a Teutonic bow, and they would go their separate ways. I have long suspected that the union would have the same success that I have herding cats. Maybe they need to talk to EDS.

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), February 03, 2000.


Tom, I'm not endorsing any Hitler types. Are we clear on that? My only point was that it was a normal election in a relatively free nation. My question still stands...would the poop have hit the fan like this if Austria had elected a radical (translation: Red) Social Democrat government???

From our perspective, WE elected FDR, Nixon and Clinton in the very same manner. All of them were/are evil IMHO.

A left of center election is no guarantee of peace and goodwill, as history readily points out.

-- Irving (irvingf@myremarq.com), February 03, 2000.


Tom, I love your post on EU being an oxymoron. Never thought of it that way.

If you really think about the true underlying desire that is driving these folks to form a union (the desire for control, money, power on a much larger scale than is afforded them in a single country)....i believe it is an indicator what their relationships will be like. I think they will always have major struggles internally. also when we have multiple organizations with the same goal, not only will they destruct from within but the organizations will war with one another-- until someone comes along who will make them all behave (at least for a very short time). tadaaaaaaaa......the antichrist. watch for that one...when the global organizations all stop fighting for a brief time because of the leadership of one man.

-- tt (cuddluppy@aol.com), February 03, 2000.


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