AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: December 11, 2007

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SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: December 11, 2007

Buchinger Hopeful the OeVP Will "Come to Its Senses"


1. ... regarding the issue of private home nursing care for the sick
and elderly, Austrian media report. Speaking on ORF television,
Erwin Buchinger, the Social Affairs Minister from the SPOe, said he
was "displeased" with his party's coalition partner OeVP for
"playing a double game" on the issue. The Minister expressed his
outrage over the fact that in Parliament, the People's Party had
"voted in favor of the reform package" for private nursing care
together with the SPOe, while "at the same time they are protesting
against the measures outside Parliament." Criticizing what he
describes as the OeVP's "contradictory" position on the issue of
private home nursing care for the sick and elderly, Social Affairs
Minister Erwin Buchinger said on ORF TV's late night news Zeit im
Bild II yesterday that hopefully the People's Party will "come to
its senses," use "moderation" in its statements and "implement the
joint agreements" reached in cooperation with its coalition partner.
The current dispute had emerged when the OeVP moved to oppose the
SPOe's push to end the "amnesty" for not officially registered
nursing personnel by the end of 2007. However, liberal daily Der
Standard runs the front-page headline "Nursing care chaos in the
coalition," and reports that the "SPOe and the OeVP are threatening
each other" and "are calling for the respective other party to pay
for the expenses."


Guilty Pleas in AMIS Trial


2. A major trial involving thousands of investors who lost money in
the collapse of the financial services provider AMIS got underway on
Monday. Because of the large number of claimants, around 15,000
represented by 80 lawyers, the hearing is taking place in a major
conference center in Vienna. The prosecution is expected to allege
that five former managers of AMIS are guilty of gross professional
misconduct causing investor losses of around 60 million Euros. Three
of the former managers have confessed that they are guilty, says ORF
TV's prime time news Zeit im Bild I on Monday.


"Ten Finger Scans for Trip to US"


3. ... says a leading Austrian provincial daily. According to the
newspaper, the United States has implemented its plan to further
tighten immigration procedures for visitors from Visa Waiver (VWP)
countries. As of now, travelers arriving at Washington DC airports
will have ten instead of two finger scans taken. US Homeland
Security Secretary Michael Chertoff inaugurated the finger-scanning
equipment in Washington on Monday, announcing that the new security
system will be installed at all US airports by end 2008, according
to independent provincial daily Salzburger Nachrichten.


First OSCE Report on Human Rights


4. A leading Austrian daily says that US Ambassador to the OSCE
Julie Finley "lost her cool," in the face of the fact that Russia
and other former Soviet states simply ignored the presentation and
significance of a report on patterns of human rights violations
against those defending such rights. The report was presented on
Monday, International Human Rights Day, by the Vienna-based OSCE's
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). On
International Human Rights Day the Vienna based OSCE's Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has put out a
report on patterns of human rights violations against those
defending such rights. In the report, the first of its kind, the
ODIHR has examined patterns of human rights violations in the OSCE
area from April 2006 to April 2007. Liberal daily Der Standard
writes that US Ambassador to the OSCE Julie Finley, "a highly
dedicated diplomat," obviously felt the blatant disregard of Russia
and other former Soviet states of OSCE report's presentation was
"the last straw." She "angrily demanded whether 'anyone in the
audience did perhaps have a problem with human rights,'" the
Standard quoted. Her inquiry was met with uncomfortable silence,
according to the daily. Like the Standard, semi-official daily
Wiener Zeitung says the report has identified four areas as being of
particular concern: continuing physical attacks on human rights
defenders; the curtailment of the freedom of association; the
failure to respect and protect freedom of assembly; and restrictions
placed on the freedom of movement and the right to liberty.
Commenting on the role of human rights defenders, ODIHR Director,
Ambassador Christian Strohal said: "They are at the forefront of
efforts to secure human rights and hold governments to account.
Human rights defenders are the lifeblood of a vibrant civil society
and are the essence of any democratic society. They serve as our
collective conscience." Strohal, an Austrian diplomat, underscored
that "what we hope to see now is concrete follow up to these
recommendations by OSCE states."


Kosovo Expects Freedom by May


5. A spokesman for the government in Kosovo says the province
expects to win independence from Serbia before May 2008. The
statement came after a meeting of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian
leadership, on the day a UN deadline expired for agreement on the
province's future status. Spokesman Skender Hyseni said Kosovo will
look at its own agenda in the matter and added that independence
might be realized even earlier than May, reports semi-official daily
Wiener Zeitung.


Putin Names Successor


6. Russian President Vladimir Putin has named Dmitry Medvedev as his
chosen successor, thus bringing to an end years of speculation about
who might come next. Putin's support has put Medvedev, who had been
listed among the possible front-runners, in the strongest possible
position ahead of the March 2008 presidential election in Russia.
Medvedev, a long-term ally of Putin, is a member of the circle of
powerful Russians who began their careers in St. Petersburg.
According to Austrian radio, Putin, who has described Medvedev as
the "best possible candidate," apparently feels certain that his
choice guarantees his political legacy will be upheld. The
opposition parties, as expected, have criticized the announcement,
describing the Russian President's candidate the "worst possible
option." All Austrian media report on President Vladimir Putin's
announcement Monday, expressing his support for First Deputy Prime
Minister Dmitry Medvedev as his successor. Semi-official daily
Wiener Zeitung says that Putin has "let the cat out of the bag," and
thus "ended the speculation regarding his successor." Centrist daily
Die Presse in a front-page report headlines "42-year-old to succeed
Putin," and suggests this particular "changing of the guards" in
Russia "has come as a surprise." The daily point out that Medvedev
is not a member of the Kremlin's intelligence service faction, which
"makes power struggles all the more likely." Similarly, liberal
daily Der Standard reports of "nervous tension in the Kremlin:"
Following months of speculation, the Russian President has nominated
Medvedev, but "not all of Putin's staff can be counted on to back
his chosen successor." However, the daily suggests, the First Deputy
Prime Minister is "the perfect option, if Putin intends to return to
power."
Kilner