Austria's
far right Freedom party won second place in parliamentary elections
yesterday, bringing its controversial leader, Jörg Haider,
closer than ever to his 13-year goal of becoming the country's
chancellor.
The ruling Social
Democrats' vote slipped to 33.4%, the Freedom party (FPO) increased
its share to 26.9%, according to official results last night.
The results appeared to threaten the 13-year old socialist conservative
alliance, and with it political stability. Both parties have refused
to form an alliance with the FPO, and during the campaign the
People's party pledged to go into opposition if it came third.
It is the first time since 1945 that the conservatives have come
third. Insiders say back room deals have been going on for
some time, and that the likely outcome is expected to be a short
lived minority government. Analysts warn that this could give
the FPO time to make greater political inroads.
The FPO's number
of parliamentary seats increased by 13 to 54. Led by Mr Haider,
a Nazi sympathizer, the FPO had campaigned on anti-immigration
platform. Under the slogan "berfremdung (over population
by foreigners), which was used by the Nazi propaganda minister
Joseph Goebbels, the party has promised in power to impose a freeze
on foreigners entering the country.
The promise of a
generous "children's cheque" to mothers also struck
a chord with many of the 3m women voters. Arriving at his
party's election celebrations in Vienna last night, Mr Haider
hailed the result as the start of "a new type of politics".
He said he was ready to form a government with his new political
partners.
Political commentators
have watched the FPO's rise with fascination, particularly because
of the party's ability to tap the fears of people who live in
the third richest country in Europe with a stable economy and
one of the lowest unemployment rates.
Mr Haider was voted
out of office in 1991 when as governor of the province of Carinthia
he praised the employment policies of Hitler and rubbed shoulders
with SS Waffen veterans at their annual meeting. He has since
made a dramatic comeback, even being re-elected as Carinthia's
governor in April, a springboard to his success in yesterday's
elections.
President Thomas
Klestil is expected to announce the government make-up tomorrow.
Asked in a radio interview if he would step down, the chancellor,
Viktor Klima, said : "That is not an issue. It is not my
style to abandon responsibility at a difficult time."
Later on television, he said: "The governing parties have
both lost. We must now look for a new way forward." But he
said the People's party remained this first choice as coalition
partner.
The campaign, one of the
most tense in Austria for years, reached fever pitch on Friday
evening when Mr Haider delivered his final pre-election address
at a rally which attracted crowds of about 5000 at Vienna's elegant
Stephansplatz. He was greeted with whistles and jeers of
"Nazis out" by groups of mainly young people. They held
banners saying "Children's cheque equals women's return to
the stove", and "1936 reasons not to vote for Haider",
referring to the Anschluss (annexation) of Austria by Nazi Germany.
Pictures of Mr Haider
and his main candidate, industrialist Thomas Prinzhorn, on election
posters throughout Vienna have been defaced with Hitler moustaches.
Jewish groups have warned that the city's Jewish community feels
"deeply unsettled" by the prospect of the FPO coming
to power.
Kate Connolly/The Guardian
(UK) : Monday 4th October 1999.
