AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: May 02, 2007

UNCLAS VIENNA 001119 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/AGS, INR/EU, AND EUR/PPD FOR YVETTE SAINT-ANDRE OSD FOR COMMANDER CHAFFEE WHITEHOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KPAO AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: May 02, 2007 May Day Call for Jobs and Fairness ¶1. About 100,000 people attended the traditional May Day event held by the ruling Social Democrats (SPOe) on Monday in central Vienna. It was the first May Day Alfred Gusenbauer attended since he became Chancellor earlier this year. During his speech, the Chancellor emphasized that the SPOe is committed to reducing the country's unemployment rate and working towards "offering greater fairness and more opportunities" in Austria. Like all Austrian media, semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung reports on the traditional May Day rallies and events held by the key political parties in the country. At the SPOe's celebration in central Vienna, Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer, who has been accused by some of the party faithful of having been too compliant during coalition talks with the People's Party, was met with some booing and jeering from the audience during his speech. Some members of the SPOe's youth wing held a banner which criticized Gusenbauer, urging him to "fight, not cave in." In his speech, the Chancellor underscored that the "new course for Austria," and the "first series of measures this government has taken, will lead to making full employment possible again." The Social Democrats would do everything to ensure the economic upswing will be used to reduce unemployment, the Wiener Zeitung says. Meanwhile, Vice-Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer and several of his People's Party colleagues visited a printing shop on Monday after he presented an OeVP labor policy plan, which called for "fair access to prosperity" for those willing to work for it, according to Molterer. Buchinger Wants More Training for the Unemployed ¶2. Minister for Social Affairs Erwin Buchinger (SPOe) said he is not satisfied with the recent drop in unemployment, pointing out that developments are "not going fast enough." He also stressed he remains concerned over the continuing rise in unemployment among young and disabled persons. The Minister suggested offering more training opportunities for the jobless to counter this trend. In April, Austrian media note, unemployment figures were down by 5.6 percent compared to April 2006. Mass-circulation tabloid Oesterreich quotes Minister for Social Affairs Erwin Buchinger from the SPOe as discussing concerns over unemployment figures and his push for more training opportunities for the jobless. He stressed that the decreasing number of people receiving job training was not a positive trend, as developments in the job market call for skilled and specialized workers. His colleague from the OeVP, Minister for Economics Martin Bartenstein, agrees that measures are necessary. In an interview with the tabloid he pointed out the high youth unemployment and that the government could therefore "not just sit back and do nothing." Bush Vetoes Iraq Bill ¶3. US President George Bush vetoed a bill passed by Congress linking funding for the war in Iraq with a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops. He argued the bill would allow insurgents to "mark their calendars" and begin plotting the overthrow of the Iraqi government, and that "setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a date for failure." All major Austrian media point out that the President's veto has further fueled the ongoing policy dispute between the White House and Congress over key policy issues. Reporting on US President George Bush's move to veto a bill in Congress linking funding for US military efforts in Iraq to a pullout of American troops, ORF radio early morning news Morgenjournal quotes the US President as saying a withdrawal deadline would be "irresponsible." Meanwhile Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stressed the bill outlined a policy that had the backing of the US public. "It was a bill that respected and honored the wishes of the American people to have benchmarks and guidelines, and to have standards for what is happening in Iraq," Pelosi defended the bill. The President, however, "wants a blank check," she argued, adding that "Congress is not going to give it to him." President Bush will meet with a Congressional delegation later to discuss the standoff and push for a compromise. Journalist for ORF radio Joerg Winter comments on the "power struggle between the President and the Democrats," pointing out that the presidential veto came "four years to the day after Bush's 'mission accomplished speech' proclaiming the end of hostilities in Iraq." However, Winter continues, "without the President's signature the bill has no chance of being implemented, as the Democrats do not have the two-third majority required to override the veto. The power struggle in Washington is in full swing." A compromise on the issue will have to be found soon, as "US forces in Iraq are pressed for time - they will be running out of money in a few weeks," Winter says. Al Masri Death Unconfirmed ¶4. Iraqi insurgents have denied a government claim that the head of Al Qaeda in Iraq has been killed in an "internal battle" between rival groups of Sunni militants. The Islamic State of Iraq group, which includes Al Qaeda in Iraq, said in an online statement, which currently cannot be verified, that Abu Ayyub al-Masri was alive. In the US, both the Pentagon and the State Department have emphasized they can "neither confirm nor deny" the claim at this point. Reporting on the rumors that the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, has been killed in an "internal battle" between militants, centrist daily Die Presse quotes the Iraqi Interior Ministry as saying they had "received clear intelligence reports stating al-Masri has been killed." However, a spokesperson for the US military said the claims could not be confirmed, although they were "hoping" the reports are true. Likewise, liberal daily Der Standard quotes US military spokesperson Col. Chris Garver, who told reporters they were "checking, but we're going to be doubly sure before we can confirm anything," given that several previous reports of al-Masri's death had proven to be unfounded. The paper adds that al-Masri's body has not been found or identified. Turkey's Premier to Ask for Early Vote ¶5. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will ask Parliament to approve early general elections on June 24. He also wants to amend the constitution to allow the president to be chosen by the people instead of by the MPs. Erdogan was speaking after Turkey's Constitutional Court annulled last Friday's vote to elect Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as new president. Secularist opposition parties and the country's military had challenged the vote in court to prevent the Foreign Minister from winning, accusing Gul of having a hidden Islamist agenda which could threaten Turkey's secular tradition. All major Austrian media report on the ongoing power struggle in Turkey, where Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has now "gone on the offensive by announcing early elections," according to ORF online news. Erdogan also emphasized he had assured the European Union that Turkey, a candidate for membership, would "soon return to normal democratic processes." Liberal daily Der Standard analyzes the Turkish military's role in the crisis, and suggests the country's armed forces "see themselves as the guardians of Turkey's secular constitution." Since 1960, the military has launched three coups against governments it considered "threats to the democratic system," the daily writes. And foreign affairs writer Christoph Prantner suggests the crisis in Turkey could "prove to be a crucial test for the EU as well." After all, "for Brussels the question is not laicism versus Islam, but whether democratic processes are being observed or not," the commentator says. Venezuela to Pull out of World Bank ¶6. Venezuela says it has taken control of major oil projects as part of a nationalization drive by President Hugo Chavez. During the country's May first celebrations, Chavez also said he wants to pull Venezuela out of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. According to ORF TV's prime time news Zeit im Bild I on Tuesday, it is not yet clear whether the move will have an impact on global oil prices. McCaw