AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: April 14, 2008

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SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: April 14, 2008

Court of Audit Criticizes Climate Protection Policy


1. A preliminary report of the Austrian Court of Audit sees
considerable shortcomings in the climate policy during the past few
years. Austria emits about one third more CO2 than allowed and the
tendency is growing. Only half-hearted measures were taken in the
sectors of transportation, industry and restoration of buildings and
much money is being wasted that way. Minister for the Environment
Josef Prll's reaction to the report was the announcement of a new
law which is going to address the problems by specifying more
concrete goals and sanctions in case of non-compliance. [ORF
online, Der Standard, 2] [more]
Instead of the projected 68.8 million tons of CO2 emissions, 32
percent more were emitted in 2006 - 91.1 million tons. This
generates enormous costs: There is considerable increase of
climate-related damage. With regard to the progress made in reaching
the Kyoto targets, Austria is second-last in comparison to other
European member states. The report is especially critical about the
role of the provinces when it comes to taking measures against
climate change, writes independent daily "Der Standard" in a
thorough analysis. Measures are largely on hold and there is no
coordination among the different Austrian provinces, criticizes the
daily. This is seen, among other things, in the restoration of old
building substance which, if carried out effectively, could lead to
massive energy savings. On the whole, the Court of Audit's report
also comes to a critical assessment of the climate strategy of the
federal government: The climate strategy of 2002 was already
partially outdated then had has been continued through 2007, while
at the same time, the permissible emission levels were raised.
Looking at these facts, the report concludes that it is "unlikely
that the targets will be reached if the current strategy is
continued." The report also warns that Austria now has to act
quickly if it wants to avoid paying a penalty for its lax climate
policy: The EU could initiate charges against Austria for having
violated the Kyoto Protocol as early as 2010, but definitely as of

2012.

Four Billion Necessary for Tax Reform


2. In an interview with mass circulation tabloid "Vsterreich,"
economic expert Bernhard Felderer, the head of the Institute for
Higher Studies, contradicts the coalition parties, which are
planning to spend no more than 2.7 billion euro on the tax reform
that is scheduled for 2010. According to Felderer, however, over
four billion would be necessary to obtain a tax relief of 300 to 400
euros per person and thus make the reform effective for the tax
payers. The argument of the government that there is no money for a
more comprehensive reform Felderer dismisses with the
counterargument that really successful reforms always entail some
debt. According to the economic expert, the goal of a reform has to
be to increase the purchasing power of the consumer and boost
investments. [Vsterreich, p. 9]

860 Million Go to EU


3. ...warns anti-EU oriented mass circulation tabloid "Neue
Kronenzeitung" and specifies in this respect that this sum
constitutes a 500 million increase versus last year's payment. This
hefty increase is attributable to the Eastern enlargement, which
increases overall EU spending and the fact that the new countries
get more money in subsides than the financially more prosperous
"old" member countries. Quoting a report of German newsmagazine
"Focus" as its source, the tabloid also points out that the EU will
have to pay much more for a potential Turkish membership than was
originally calculated. [Neue Kronenzeitung, p. 1 and 3]

Nussbaumer Case Revisited


4. Political weekly "Profil," in its latest issue, presents so-far
unpublished material in a detailed reconstruction of the hostage
case involving the Austrian Bert Nussbaumer and his American
colleagues who had gone into Iraq in 2006 as employees of the US
security firm "Crescent Security." [Profil, pp. 77]
As a result of detailed research and using so far not accessible
sources the political weekly "profil" reconstructed how the US
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),the Austrian government
together with special task forces of the army, Crescent Security and
Mark Koscielski, a weapons dealer form Minnesota, who was friends
with one of the kidnapping victims, all tried to do anything they
can to solve the case and liberate Nussbaumer and his colleagues -
and how this undertaking failed without the rescuers and the
kidnappers actually intending this. The weekly establishes that a
crisis team of the Austrian Foreign Ministry set up a network of
contact points - from the US embassy or the Office for Hostage
Issues in Baghdad to more or less influential persons in Iraq.
"Profil in particular stresses the intensity of Austrian-US contacts
during the search for the hostages and the attempts to get them
free. Agents of the Army News Office, together with Crescent
Security, pursued all the leads they got. Foreign Minister Ursula
Plassnik and her US colleague Condoleezza Rice were in direct
contact over the case. In the final analysis, the weekly concludes,
nobody can really say why contact between kidnapper and the
authorities was never established. According to Paul Chapman, a
spokesman for "Crescent Security," the firm never received any
demands for ransom from the kidnappers and he stressed the fact that
he knows of no such demands being addressed to the Austrian
government. The kidnapping case is "in the end an unsolvable
mystery." The failure to get the hostages free unharmed was perhaps
attributable to "misunderstandings, perhaps to stupidity,
coincidence, and the muddled situation in the occupied civil war
country Iraq," concludes the weekly.

Khaddafi Leaves Traces in Mali


5. Libyan investment in Mali is extensive - Libyan companies have
invested millions in the country, and in other African regions as
well. Libyan head of state Muammar al-Khaddafi has become a synonym
of his country. [Der Standard, p. 5]
According to independent daily Der Standard," which quotes Libyan
journalist Mamary Fofana, "most Libyan activities are now focused on
developing the northern part of the country." There, Libyan plans to
play an important role politically. Lately, it tried to secure peace
in the region of Kidal. Representatives of the Tuareg rebels and the
government met in Tripoli at the beginning of the month on Libya's
initiative in order to negotiate a possible end of the months-long
conflict. However, although an agreement was signed according to
which the captured Mali soldiers are to be freed and the army is to
retreat into its barracks, the agreement has been seen by most
observers as a failure. The Libyan role in northern Mali is not
uncontroversial, writes the daily. Due to family connections,
Khaddafi has always presented himself as a friend of the Tuareg.
There were rumors that he also supported the Tuareg rebels in Niger.
"It is not to be ruled out that Khaddafi engages in double-dealing,"
says a Professor of International Relations at the University of
Bamako, who is quoted by the daily under the condition of anonymity.


Low Voter Particpation Expected in Italy


6. On Monday, 15 pm, the voting booths will close down in Italy and
experts predict a low turnout due to widespread exasperation on the
part of the voters. No matter who gets to be elected, right-wing
conservative Silvio Berlusconi or Walter Vetroni, candidate for the
leftist Democratic Party - he will be facing considerable problems:
high debt, an ailing health system and a low wage level. [ORF
online, other Austrian media]

The Cabinet of Feminist Zapatero


7. ... titles independent daily "Der Standard" in reference to the
new cabinet of Spain's Prime Minister Jose Zapatero where, for the
first time, women outnumber men by 9 to 8. Also for the first time,
Spain will have a female Minster of Defense, Charme Chacon, a
37-year old expecting mother, who was formerly Minister for Housing.
[Der Standard, p. 3; other Austrian media]

Zimbabwe's Opposition in the Defensive


8. At a meeting of the heads of state and government of the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) in Zambia on the weekend, the
participants uttered no criticism of the ruling regime of Robert
Mugabe in Zimbabwe. This was a blow to the country's opposition
leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who had hoped for backing of his claim to
take over as head of state in Zimbabwe. The SADC members only urged
for a speedy verification and publication of the election results.
[Kurier, p. 6]

Pope to Visit Country of His (Worst) Dreams


9. ... headlines centrist daily "Die Presse" with reference to the
impending papal visit to the US. The Pope's trip is to commence on
Tuesday and will last six days during which Benedict XVI will visit
Washington and New York and speak before the United Nations. He will
meet with President George W. Bush several times and speak with the
representatives of Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. The visit is not
just aimed at promoting the Catholic Church in the US, but also the
Pope himself, of whom 80 percent of Americans know only very little.
Die Presse, p. 6]
The US is in a state of eager anticipation of the papal visit and
so, probably is the Pope himself, writes centrist daily "Die
Presse." Referring to an analysis of the US news magazine "Time,"
the daily points out that, after all, nowhere do faith and religion
play as great a role as they do in the US - understandably, this
appeals to the Pope, who is confronted with the "crisis of faith" in
Europe - as "Time" calls it. However, "Die Presse" also points out
the many nightmares which the Vatican has suffered in past years due
to sexual abuse cases involving US Catholic priests. Since 2002,
hardly a year has gone by without new scandals surfacing. In the
run-up to the Poe visit, American Catholic Church representatives
have indicated that the Pope will probably address the scandals in
one of his speeches, but did not plan to meet with the victims of
the priests that had caused the scandals.
Kilner