AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: January 31, 2008

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SIPDIS

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SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: January 31, 2008


Once Again, Coalition Tensions


1. The Austrian SPOe-OeVP coalition government's performance
continues to be marked by massive tensions and quarrels between the
two parties, Austrian media report. SPOe Chancellor Alfred
Gusenbauer accused his junior coalition partner, the OeVP, of
"trying to make the Social Democrats look bad, while they are doing
nothing but sitting back and taking a break." In response, OeVP
party manager Hannes Missethon questioned whether the SPOe wanted to
continue in government, given such statements, and warned that the
Social Democrats should not use the OeVP to "vent their
frustration."
All Austrian media report on the most recent tensions in the
crisis-ridden coalition government. In an interview with
mass-circulation weekly News of January 31, Chancellor Alfred
Gusenbauer harshly attacks the OeVP, accusing the People's Party of
"only trying to make the SPOe look bad," and not doing anything
constructive itself. "Apparently, the OeVP is still not over its
election defeat for 2006. Not going beyond attacks on the Chancellor
and the Social Affairs Minister make for a very poor program for any
party in government. The OeVP will have to make up its mind whether
it want to work against the SPOe, or finally begin working for
Austria. Many in the People's Party have yet to do their part in
this respect," Gusenbauer argued. According to the Chancellor, the
OeVP "sees as its main task making the SPOe look bad. From what I've
seen, they are not coming up with any major reform projects of their
own. It is difficult enough the way it is, just trying to stick to
implementing the coalition agreement. The picture that presents
itself, I think, is that the OeVP is idly lounging in a hammock, and
has confined itself to bickering."


Greens Politician Criticizes Austrian Chad Mission


2. Greens' security spokesperson Peter Pilz has criticized Austrian
participation in the EU's EUFOR peacekeeping mission in Chad.
Austria will contribute 160 troops, and an advance team departed for
Chad Wednesday morning. Pilz called Austrian participation
"well-meant but shabbily and negligently prepared for." He also
charged that Austria would be supporting France's role in Chad's
"civil war" and that Austrian involvement in the mission would
violate the country's neutrality.
Semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung reports on Greens' security
spokesperson Peter Pilz's criticism of Austria's participation in
the EU's peacekeeping mission in Chad. Pilz expressed his concern
that the mission had been insufficiently prepared for, and argued
that Austria would be supporting France's role in Chad's "civil
war," which would be in violation of the country's neutrality.
Meanwhile, Communist Party spokesperson Mirko Messner called the EU
mission "pure neo-colonialism" and an attempt to position the
European Union economically in Africa. He added that the mission
would undermine Austrian neutrality. The BZOe asked in a press
release why the mission had received so little support from the
government, and compared SPOe Defense Minister Norbert Darabos to a
driver going the wrong way on an expressway and wondering why there
were so many other drivers going in the "wrong" direction.


"Complete Rejection of Turkish EU Membership"


3. ... was a leading Austrian daily's front-page headline on January

30. The newspaper referred to a new survey carried out by European
think tank "European Stability Initiative," which shows that a vast
majority of Austrians is opposed to Turkey becoming a member of the
European Union. 74 percent of interviewees hold that Turkey "simply
isn't a European country," and believe the cultural differences
between EU states and Turkey are just too big. The daily points out
that Austrians, probably as a result of their opposition to Turkish
EU membership, are hardly aware of the issue's positive aspects, as
for example economic and security benefits.
Centrist daily Die Presse, in a feature report on January 30 on
Austria's profound opposition to Turkish EU membership, quoted from
a recent Eurobarometer survey, according to which only 5 percent of
Austrians are in favor of Turkey joining the European Union. The
daily suggests that the political debate of the issue has had a
massive impact on public opinion in Austria: This is a factor that
an analysis of previous surveys demonstrates clearly. A similar
survey carried out in 2002 still shows 32 percent of Austrians in
favor of Turkish EU membership. At that time, interviewees did not
make much of a distinction between how they viewed Bulgaria, Croatia
or Turkey as EU states. The fact that Austrian politicians are
meanwhile supporting a referendum on the question of Turkey becoming
an EU member has caused concern among political analysts: The author
of the most recent study has already warned of a "diplomatic
disaster."
Foreign affairs writer for centrist daily Die Presse Wolfang Boehm
commented on what he described as the "disgraceful Turkey debate,"
arguing that the "greatest danger is not that Austria will one day
reject a Turkish EU membership in a projected referendum. The
greatest danger is that, by showing a crude, undifferentiated and
emotional attitude, it will shut off any options for Ankara.
Already, Austria and France are decried in Turkey as those countries
that intend to bar the country from gaining access to Europe. A
responsible way of dealing with the problem would be to participate
in developing a credible alternative to a full Turkish EU
membership. Austria, he says, "can never be part of such a
constructive debate if it does not also highlight the advantages of
cooperation with Turkey. What is needed her is the courage to commit
to Turkey - a country that is characterized by contradictions, but
also has deep roots in the European culture."


McCain Likely Republican Frontrunner


4. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has given his support to
Senator John McCain for the Republican nomination in this year's US
presidential election. Giuliani announced his own withdrawal from
the race after disappointing results in the Florida primary.
Meanwhile, another prominent Republican, California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger, has said he will endorse McCain's candidacy.
Meanwhile, among those seeking the Democrats' nomination, John
Edwards has also left the race, without backing either of his main
rivals, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
All Austrian media continue to report on the race for the White
House and the outcome of the primary election in Florida. Liberal
daily Der Standard reports on what it describes as "Rudy's pitiful
end," and says that the former New York Mayor's "shameful defeat" in
Florida has scuttled the former frontrunner's presidential
aspirations. In view of the Florida results, everyone's eyes are now
turned to John McCain, the daily says. The Standard's foreign
affairs writer Christoph Prantner, reporting from the US on a
PAS-assisted program, comments that aside from Giuliani's
endorsement, "still more important for McCain is the fact that Mike
Huckabee will presumably stay in the race until Super Tuesday -
inspired by hopes of being nominated for the vice-presidency. This
way, the Senator provides for the Republican vote being split
between two (social-) conservative candidates. This is an especially
smart move in the 'Bible Belt' states. After all, Florida has shown
that McCain ran a clear second to Romney with opponents of abortion
or pro-Bush Republicans. Romney, on the other hand, can only pin his
hopes on his financial resources. So far, he has poured 40 million
dollar of his own money into the election campaign." In addition,
Prantner argues, "the Republicans in those Super-Tuesday states,
which have many delegates, such as New York or California, are
generally more conservative than elsewhere. Also, in both states,
only registered Republicans are allowed to vote in the primaries.
Independents, who are strongly attracted to McCain, are excluded."
Summing up the views of all major Austrian media, centrist daily Die
Presse headlines "Edwards has given up, Giuliani has floundered,"
which leaves John McCain as the clear frontrunner in the competition
for the Republican nomination. The daily's Washington correspondent
Norbert Rief suggests that Giuliani's strategy to ignore the early
primaries and caucuses in the small states and focus on Florida
exclusively - a risky move that no candidate before him had dared to
give a try - was his undoing in the end. Rief quotes political
analyst Lance de Haven-Smith, who argues that Giuliani has "gambled
away a tremendous opportunity. He could have won the Republican
nomination, had he relied on a more conventional strategy."


Commission Slams Israel's War with Lebanon


5. An Israeli government-appointed inquiry has concluded that
Israel's war against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 was a "serious
failure." According to the report presented by the so-called
Winograd Commission, Israel's military had no clear strategy, and
consequently the country had been "dragged" into an inconclusive
ground operation in Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has
insisted that he won't step down, despite the Commission's
findings.
Like several Austrian media, liberal daily Der Standard reports on
the conclusions by the Winograd Commission regarding Israel's war
against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. The report has "spared"
Israel's Premier Ehud Olmert, who is relieved about the Commission's
assessment that the war against Lebanon was lost because of
strategic shortfalls. The document does not contain any direct
criticism of the Primer Minister. The Standard's Jerusalem
correspondent Ben Segenreich comments that Olmert had come off
lightly in the entire affair. The Commission's judgment of the
military offensive's final three days, which had seen the launch of
a hasty ground offensive that cost 33 Israeli soldiers their lives,
as "virtually unavoidable" and in pursuit of legitimate goals" may
have saved Olmert. Many observers had suggested that it was the
decision in favor a ground offensive, which might cost the Premier
dearly, Segenreich says, and points out that Olmert has already
responded to the report by emphasizing that he will certainly not
step down.


Fed Lowers Interest Rates


6. The US Federal Reserve has cut interest rates for the second time
in nine days, as it tries to keep the US economy from entering a
recession. The central bank lowered rates to 3 percent from 3.5
percent, but some analysts have criticized the move as
short-sighted, and said it made the Federal Reserve look afraid of
financial markets, according to ORF radio early morning news
Morgenjournal.
Kilner