Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05VIENNA855
2005-03-15 14:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:  

AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: MARCH 15, 2005

Tags:  KPAO AU OPRC 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 VIENNA 000855 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/AGS, INR/EU, AND EUR/PPD FOR LISBETH KEEFE

OSD FOR COMMANDER CHAFFEE

WHITEHOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO AU OPRC
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: MARCH 15, 2005


-------------------------------------
Parties Preparing for Early Elections
-------------------------------------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 VIENNA 000855

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/AGS, INR/EU, AND EUR/PPD FOR LISBETH KEEFE

OSD FOR COMMANDER CHAFFEE

WHITEHOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO AU OPRC
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: MARCH 15, 2005


--------------
Parties Preparing for Early Elections
--------------


1. reads the front-page headline in mass-circulation
provincial daily "Kleine Zeitung." After Sunday's district
council elections in Styria, the SPOe is allegedly
speculating that the OeVP-FPOe coalition government will
fall apart, the daily says. For SPOe floor leader Josef Cap,
whose party all but caught up with the OeVP in Styria, the
election result is a sign that "Styrians want solid social-
democratic reform and administrative work." He expects that
the tensions between the FPOe and its coalition partner OeVP
are going to increase in the future. Therefore, the Social
Democrats are to discuss possible early elections at their
party meeting. Meanwhile, the OeVP continues to rely on
Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel's lead over SPOe leader Alfred
Gusenbauer when it comes to voters' confidence in the
party's top candidates, the "Kleine Zeitung" says.



--------------
Haider without a Following
--------------


2. Carinthian Governor Joerg Haider's announcement that he
is considering a return to the FPOe leadership is not
getting any noteworthy support, says mass-circulation daily
"Kurier." To the contrary, the daily continues, it has
provoked a rather unusual reaction within the Freedom Party:
No-one from the FPOe has actually stated approval of the
suggestion. This must be "highly embarrassing" for Haider,
FPOe ombudsman Ewald Stadler told the "Kurier." He explained
why the majority in the FPOe is not backing the idea,
stressing that it was the "umpteenth time" Haider had
announced his alleged return. "Who is going to take that
seriously?"

--------------
Vice-Chancellor Gorbach in the US
--------------


3. Mass-circulation daily "Kurier" reports that Austrian
Vice-Chancellor Hubert Gorbach, currently on a visit to the
United States, arrived in California on Monday, where he met
Austrian-born California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Gorbach is to discuss cooperation opportunities in nano and
security technology, as well as alternative power sources
with Californian partners. In his meeting with
Schwarzenegger, the Vice-Chancellor touched upon a possible
Austro-Californian partnership on fuel cell production. The
"Kurier" notes that the Vienna Boys Choir also performed at

the meeting.

--------------
EU Wants Access to all Communication Data
--------------


4. says the front-page headline in centrist daily "Die
Presse." The EU plans to keep on file telephone numbers, e-
mail and SMS addresses and Internet protocols for three
years, the daily explains. Brussels' plan envisages the
obligatory filing of the data in question as part of the
EU's efforts to more effectively fight terrorist activities
and crimes such as child pornography. In Austria, reception
to the proposal varies. While Justice Minister Karin
Miklautsch has explicitly welcomed the idea, Interior
Minister Liese Prokop is opposed to a speedy implementation,
stressing that it was "not going to happen this year," the
"Presse" says.

-------------- --------------
Israel's New Ambassador on Israeli-Austrian Relations,
Mideast Peace Process
-------------- --------------


5. He is "cautiously optimistic" regarding the Mideast peace
process, Israel's new Ambassador to Austria Dan Ashbel told
Austrian President Heinz Fischer, when he presented his
credentials on Monday, says liberal daily "Der Standard." In
an interview with mass-circulation daily "Kurier" of March
12, Ashbel, whose parents lived in Germany, before they had
to flee the Nazis, stressed that he wants to "optimize
relations between our two states." Israeli-Austrian
relations "have improved very much. The way has been paved,
so that we can start working now." The Ambassador
underscored that the two countries could "profit from each
other." On the Middle East, Ashbel explained that both
Israel and the Palestinians, "have become aware that we
could achieve more by peaceful coexistence -- cooperation
may come later." The "Kurier" also quotes Ashbel as saying
he "cautiously optimistic," despite "many setbacks" and
"disappointment" because "we wanted to arrive at results too
quickly." Israel, he underscored, "would like to hand over
responsibility for the cities in the West Bank to the
Palestinians. But at the same time we would like to make
sure that there is no terrorism," because otherwise "this
government will not have a chance."

--------------
Anthrax Alarm at Pentagon
--------------


6. ORF online news reports on an anthrax alarm sounded at
the Pentagon mail facility yesterday. The Pentagon confirmed
reports floated in US media that automatic sensors in its
mail facility had detected the bacteria. The building was
evacuated immediately, ORF online says. Follow-up tests for
anthrax came back negative, but the incident is being
investigated nonetheless, according to ORF online. All mail
coming into the Pentagon is routinely X-rayed and irradiated
to kill bacteria such as anthrax before it comes into the
building. Despite such treatment, an alarm could still
activate if the substance in question had been present in
the mail before irradiation.
--------------
Croatia's EU Talks in Jeopardy
--------------


7. The opening of talks on Croatia's entry into the European
Union scheduled for Thursday is in jeopardy. The EU
Commission is insisting that Zagreb make greater efforts to
hand over former General Ante Gotovina, who has been
indicted by the UN War Crimes Tribunal. Austrian radio early
morning news "Morgenjournal" says that Premier Jean-Claude
Juncker of Luxembourg, which currently holds the rotating EU
Presidency, has virtually issued Croatia an ultimatum:
Unless Gotovina is handed over to the Hague Tribunal, the
opening of entry talks will be postponed indefinitely.
Although some countries, including Austria, would accept
Croatia's efforts regarding Gotovina, and accept Zagreb's
assertions that the former General's whereabouts are
unknown, other EU members, such as Germany, Britain and
Italy, hold that Gotovina has to be handed over prior to the
beginning of talks.

--------------
Media Commentaries on Croatia
--------------


8. In centrist daily "Die Presse," former Secretary General
of the Austrian Foreign Ministry Albert Rohan writes that
there is "no doubt that Ante Gotovina belongs to The Hague -
the only place where his guilt or innocence can be
ascertained." Chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, who insists
that the Croatian government could catch Gotovina, "should
present proof of this to the EU," Rohan argues. Also,
"Croatia's offer to let EU representatives participate in
the search for Gotovina to convince them of Zagreb's
goodwill should be accepted." It would not be right, Rohan
believes, to "delay Croatia's acceptance as an EU member
because of the unexplained whereabouts of a dubious figure
such as Ante Gotovina."
According to editor for centrist daily "Die Presse" Wolfgang
Boehm, although it is necessary to "exert pressure on
Croatia to step up its efforts to find Gotovina," the
question is "whether holding an entire country hostage is
not counterproductive for its rapprochement with the EU. For
Croatia this massive pressure only has the effect of
producing a new inner rift and a precarious crisis for the
democratically oriented Sanader government. The EU's manner
of proceeding completely ignores the fact that Croatia has
long since earned its ticket to the EU through difficult
democratic and economic reforms." For "justice's sake,"
Boehm urges, "Croatia should get the same treatment as
Turkey: The start of membership negotiations with
conditions attached."

--------------
Blast Targets Kosovo's President
--------------


9. An explosion has hit the car of Kosovo President Ibrahim
Rugova as he was traveling in a convoy in the province's
capital, Pristina. According to police reports, Rugova was
not hurt by the blast that occurred earlier this morning
when he was heading to talks with EU foreign policy chief
Javier Solana, writes ORF online news. Meanwhile, Austria's
army is to deploy 40 more troops to Kosovo to support KFOR,
Austrian Maj. Gen. Christian Segur-Cabanac confirmed. The
move comes in view of the security situation in the area
following the indictment at The Hague Tribunal of Kosovo
Premier Ramush Haradinaj.
Brown