AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: October 24, 2007

UNCLAS VIENNA 002679 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: October 24, 2007 SPOe, OeVP Disagree on Comprehensive Schools ¶1. Austrian Education Minister Claudia Schmied of the Social Democrats (SPOe) has said she is "appalled" by People's Party (OeVP) efforts to block the introduction, in selected areas of Austria, of comprehensive-type schools. Speaking after talks with the People's Party education spokesperson Fritz Neugebauer, Mrs. Schmied accused him of a "total lack of constructive dialogue" on the issue. Further talks are to be held today with Science Minister Johannes Hahn, also from the People's Party. Reporting on the dispute between the Social Democrats and the People's Party over the introduction of comprehensive schools in Austria, semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung points out that comprehensive school systems exist in many of the major industrialized nations. These systems have been implemented in response to the criticism of an early and irreversible selection process, which makes for an elitist versus a mass educational system. Political tensions about this issue in Austria go back many years. The SPOe insists that comprehensive schools would make the school system fairer because the selection process would be delayed until age 14. The OeVP, however, has continuously argued against any changes in the traditional, selective school system. Gusenbauer against Blue Card ¶2. The EU Commission wants to see the introduction of so-called "blue cards," similar to the US green card, to bring skilled workers into Europe. Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini presented the plan on Tuesday. However, Austria and Germany have objected to parts of the plan, which would allow blue card holders to move jobs between EU countries. Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer has said that residence and work permits must remain clearly within the competence of the national governments. Presenting its plans for a Blue Card for skilled immigrants based on the US Green Card, the EU says it needs 20 million skilled immigrants over the next 20 years, and is very short of expertise in engineering and computer technology. To be eligible for the card, new immigrants would need to show a recognized diploma, have at least three years of professional experience, and the offer of a job which could not be filled by and EU citizen, semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung reports. The plan will need the approval of all member states to become effective. Austria and Germany have already objected to parts of the plan, demanding that the authority to issue residence and work permits must remain with the member states' national governments. Liberal daily Der Standard quotes Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer as emphasizing that "we don't need this type of Blue card. I don't want our labor market policies being undermined by EU regulations." "Constructive Talks" Between EU and Iran ¶3. Iranian negotiators and the EU are hoping for more talks on Iran's nuclear program in the coming weeks, after what was described as a "constructive meeting" between EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran's new nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in Rome yesterday. While Jalili described the meeting as "clear and transparent," Solana suggested the next round of talks should be held before the end of November. Liberal daily Der Standard, writing about the latest talks on the Iranian nuclear program, suggests that Larijani's successor Saeed Jalili is a "new negotiator representing all the old positions." Speaking to Iranian media, Jalili stressed that Iran's "nuclear policy will remain the same," even under a different Iranian President. Meanwhile, in Vienna, the President of the Jewish world Congress, former US ambassador to Austria Ronald S. Lauder, urged the Austrian government to support tougher sanctions against Iran. In an analysis of the situation, foreign affairs writer Andrs Szigetvari says "it is not clear at this point whether there will be war (with Iran). Marital rhetoric, however, has already become part of the discourse; and threats are becoming increasingly severe in the row over Iran's atomic program." Platter on Counter-Terrorism Cooperation ¶4. Austrian Interior Minister Guenther Platter from the People's Party, who is currently on an official visit to the United States, has said Austria and the US need to cooperate more closely in areas including counter-terrorism, the fight against organized crime and human trafficking. Platter will be meeting for talks on these issues with representatives from the Bush administration today and tomorrow. Pushing for closer cooperation between Austria and the United States on issues including counter-terrorism, Austrian Interior Minister Guenther Platter from the People's Party, currently on an official visit in the US, will be meeting with US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in Washington today. The two ministers are to sign an "memorandum of understanding" regarding internal security for Austria and the US, Platter told Austrian Press Agency APA ahead of his departure for Washington. The memorandum essentially aims at intensifying the employment of air marshals on international flights. Platter underscored that he "is looking forward to the talks during the next two days. I am determined and confident that we will successfully address the issue of cooperation, which is such a vital matter," the Austrian Interior Minister said. He is also scheduled to meet with Acting Attorney General Peter D. Keisler. Al Gore in Vienna ¶5. Al Gore, former US Vice-President and this year's winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace, is in Vienna today. He has been invited by Mobilcom Austria to speak to 800 guests about climate protection measures in mobile communication. Austrian media say gore's message is: The world cannot afford to surrender in the face of the overwhelming task of fighting climate change. Centrist daily Die Presse publishes a portrait of former US Vice-President Al Gore, who will be holding a lecture in Vienna today. The daily's Washington correspondent, Norbert Rief, writes Gore, the winner of this year's Nobel Prize for Peace, is a "loser turned demigod." According to Rief, losing the US presidential elections seven years ago was the "best thing that could have happened to him." AS US President, "Gore would hardly have become as popular, esteemed and internationally respected as he is now. And a Nobel Prize or an Oscar would have been as unattainable for him as, say, the Nobel Prize for Literature for George Bush." Baghdad Promises Assistance against PKK ¶6. Iraq has promised to assist Ankara by closing the offices of Kurdish rebels and working towards preventing them from launching attacks on Turkey. Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki emphasized he would not allow the rebel group to operate on Iraqi territory. The PKK has been blamed for a number of recent deadly raids inside Turkey. Reporting on the current tensions between Turkey and Kurdish PKK rebels in northern Iraq, semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung has pointed out that that the Turkish government imposed a news embargo on the fighting between PKK rebels and the Turkish military in northern Iraq. Faced with massive, nationwide anti-Kurdish protests and solidarity rallies for the Turkish soldiers Ankara, it seems, is concerned about the possibility of a popular uprising over the issue, the daily suggests. Meanwhile, the Iraqi government and the White House are striving to discourage Ankara from launching a military operation against the Kurds in Iraq, centrist daily Die Presse says. However, US President George Bush's phone calls to Iraqi Premier Nuri al-Maliki and Turkish President Abdullah Gul, as well as Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan's trip to Baghdad have failed to provide the government in Ankara with an effective tool to calm down the increasingly enraged Turkish masses, the Presse argues. McCaw