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AUSTRIA/UK: Fury at Haider's London visit

01 May 2002

The extremist governor of Carinthia, Jorg Haider, who stood down as leader of the Freihertiche Partei Osterreich (FPO, Freedom Party) two years ago following international protests at his inclusion in the Austrian government, visited London at the end of June. Haider's visit, to launch a Ryanair airline service between Britain and Austria, prompted immediate protests and a vocal demonstration outside his London hotel. Ryanair did not attend. The inclusion of members of the previously untouchable FPO in the Austrian government, after they became the second largest party in Austrian national politics, led to EU sanctions being briefly imposed against Austria in 2000. The British government supported the sanctions against Haider, who has frequently announced his admiration for the policies of Adolf Hitler, expressing "deep distaste" over the affair.
Haider has since expressed his admiration for the leadership of Tony Blair, in particular for the Labour government's economic and immigration policies. Only last May Labour's Home Secretary David Blunkett, explicitly invoking the ghost of the racist former Conservative and Unionist MP Enoch Powell, spoke of refugees "swamping" new Labour's schools and services. As EU countries increase controls over the freedom of movement of non-European nationals, eliminating primary immigration and severely clamping down on asylum, Haider's world view appears to have been accepted by many European governments. Whatever the views of EU governments Labour MEP, Glyn Ford in a statement condemned Haider's "extremist policies" warned that: "Letting Haider in sends a signal to the resurgent far right in Europe that they will be given a place at the table."