FPO SACKS RIGHT WINGERS AFTER ELECTION LOSSES

UNCLAS VIENNA 000738

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/AGS (VIKMANIS-KELLER) AND INR/EU

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR AU
SUBJECT: FPO SACKS RIGHT WINGERS AFTER ELECTION LOSSES


This message is sensitive but unclassified.


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Freedom Party (FPO) executive
board decided on March 7 to strip prominent right-wingers
of party offices. In a reaction to severe losses last
weekend in local elections in the state of Lower Austria,
the leadership also tasked a six-person reform committee
with "renewing" the party. Just hours after the meeting,
Carinthian Governor Haider repeated his proposal to found
a new FPO at a special convention to take place in late
spring. The purging of the FPO's far-right faction
represents a temporary victory for the pro-coalition
party leadership under party chair Haubner and Vice-
Chancellor Gorbach. However, if the string of FPO losses
in state elections continues later this year, the outlook
is for continued volatility and further friction with
Chancellor Schuessel's People's Party (OVP). End
summary.


2. (SBU) In municipal elections in the state of Lower
Austria on March 6, the FPO lost more than half its
previous support, falling to fourth place, behind the
Greens. This was the 11th consecutive electoral defeat
for the party since it entered the federal government in
2000, with the sole exception of Carinthia, where Joerg
Haider retained the post of governor in March 2004.


3. (SBU) In reaction, an overnight crisis meeting of the
party's executive board on March 7 decided to sack
rightist critics from party posts. Party leaders removed
two notorious nationalists from the board, FPO ombudsman
Ewald Stadler and the party's sole Member of the European
Parliament, Andreas Moelzer. FPO Vienna chairman Heinz
Christian Strache kept his slot on the board, but had to
step down as one of party leader Haubner's two deputies.
Haubner justified the decision by citing the rightists'
ongoing criticism of the party leadership. She issued a
thinly veiled warning of further measures if the right
does not cease its sniping. The FPO leadership also
installed a six-person reform committee composed of
Haubner, Haider, Gorbach, parliamentary caucus leader
Herbert Scheibner, party manager Uwe Scheuch, and Vienna
caucus leader Hilmar Kabas, tasking it with a sweeping
"renewal" of the party.


4. (SBU) Just hours later, Haider proposed convening a
special convention in late spring for the purpose of
founding "a new FPO." For several months, Haider has
mused publicly over a concept for a "cool, relaxed,
youthful" new movement. Haider suggested that the
current FPO government team, the majority of FPO
legislators and most state chapters would "switch over"
to the new FPO -- leaving behind all those who would not
fit in with the new party. This would ensure a
continuation of the FPO participation in government, he
argued. His sister, FPO chairperson and Social Affairs
Minister Ursula Haubner, has not yet commented on
Haider's latest plan.


5. (SBU) COMMENT: The purge of FPO far-right faction
represents a temporary victory for the FPO party
leadership, which remains publicly committed to the
coalition with the OVP. It silences, for the time being,
internal party critics who have increasingly advocated an
opposition role for the FPO instead of continued
government participation. Haider evidently views the
disempowerment of the unruly rightwingers as the prelude
to a new beginning. After decimating party liberals just
a few months ago, Haider now seeks effectively to lop off
the other wing of the party. A new and improved FPO
centered on Haider's personality faces uncertain
prospects, at best. Odds are that this FPO will fare
badly in state elections in Styria, Burgenland and
possibly Vienna in autumn 2005.

Brown