AUSTRIA: NEW SOCIAL AFFAIRS MINISTER: HAUBNER IN,

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000215

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STATE FOR EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2015
TAGS: PGOV PINR AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: NEW SOCIAL AFFAIRS MINISTER: HAUBNER IN,
HAUPT OUT


Classified By: ECONOMIC-POLITICAL COUNSELOR GREGORY E. PHILLIPS. REASO
NS: 1.4 (b) AND (d).


1. (C) Summary: Ursula Haubner has replaced Herbert Haupt
as Austria's Minister for Social Affairs. Haubner, who had
served as State Secretary (junior minister) in the same
ministry, had replaced Haupt as Freedom Party (FPO) leader in
October 2003. The move was largely a decision of the Freedom
Party (FPO),and observers interpret the reshuffle as an FPO
effort to consolidate its party structure. End summary.


2. (SBU) Following its traditional New Year's off-site, the
FPO announced on January 24 that party leader and state
secretary Ursula Haubner would move up to the position of

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Minister of Social Affairs. Haubner, who is the sister of
FPO strongman and Carinthia governor Joerg Haider, succeeds
Herbert Haupt, who had stepped down as FPO party leader and
as Vice Chancellor in October 2003. Haupt has cited health
reasons for his resignation.


3. (SBU) The party further designated the FPO's
parliamentary social affairs spokesman, Sigisbert Dolinschek,
to take the FPO's state secretary slot, which Haubner had
held. Dolinschek will become state secretary in the Health
Ministry. Dolinschek, a political ally of Haider, is a
long-time FPO backbencher and comes from the FPO's power base
of Carinthia.

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Reactions
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4. (SBU) Haider argued the move made sense because it would
give the FPO party leader a full vote in day-to-day cabinet
decisions. Wilhelm Molterer, the parliamentary floor leader
of the People's Party (OVP),the FPO's senior coalition
partner, said the reshuffle pointed toward a
"professionalization of the leadership structures" of the
FPO. Somewhat predictably, the opposition Social Democrats
(SPO) and Greens charged that the move showed the
government's "instability." This marks the seventh cabinet
change during Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel's second
government.

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Comment
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5. (C) It would be tempting to read the elevation of Joerg
Haider's sister as a step toward Haider's own return to
national prominence. Indeed, the changes touched off a new
round of speculation that Haider was preparing his return as
FPO national chairman. However, there is no evidence to
support this hypothesis. Rather, Haupt has been damaged
goods since he lost his party leadership and Vice
Chancellorship in 2003. Many considered Haubner's ascension
as only a matter of time. During her tenure as party leader,
Haubner has developed a reputation for competence. Her
assumption of full ministerial rank will give her time to
enhance her public profile before national elections, which
are due in the Fall of 2006.
Brown