Run of the Mill Sickness or Cancer?

In recent days the West has taken a lively interest in the news from Austria. “A historical error” was precisely how the newspapers, radio, and television — obviously, following the example of German Minister Rudolf Scharping — called the accession of the far Right to power in Austria. This time the press, which usually professes objectivity and balance, has unambiguously styled Freedom Party leader Jorg Heider (who personally has not become a Cabinet member) a neo-Nazi for whom there can now be no room in Europe. The European Union has for the first time breached the rule of consensus in decision-making and approved isolating Austria in spite of Vienna’s protests which are, incidentally, quite justified, if decision making should always follow the letter of the law and not its spirit.

However, the keynote of these publications, interviews, and speeches remains the same: the unwell Austria is behaving badly and should somehow be cured.

It has somehow escaped attention that the accession to power of forces advocating open xenophobia and whose leader quite publicly honors SS soldiers, has taken place in a more or less quiet historical period in one of the world’s wealthiest countries. Living standards in Austria are among the highest in Europe and unemployment minimal. Austria, although a recent EU member, has always been closely integrated into all West European mechanisms except NATO. No one earlier made any thundering comments on the problems of Austrian democracy, and no one ever noticed any deviations until the last elections (except in 1986, when Kurt Waldheim was elected President among changes of his having lied about his complicity in Nazi war crimes — Ed. ). It is as if the Austrians simply all went crazy together on election day.

No one has thought of the real reasons why to the Olympus of power have proudly ascended radical, to put it mildly, forces, represented in the Cabinet by people who can be called anything but elderly: in particular, the new Defense Minister, a member of Heider’s party is only 36 years of age.

Nobody seems to have understood yet that Austria is only second (after the Balkans) but, unfortunately, far not the last victim of a disease sweeping virtually all Europe from east to west. This Europe failed to carry out timely denazification of Austria, unlike Germany and Italy. This Europe overlooked the first explosions of the Balkan crisis. This Europe does not wish to measure the world by categories other than the market. Finally, this Europe, as the Austrian case exemplifies, does not want to understand the need for serious changes (at least at the level of the average citizen) to such a degree that he is ready to vote for anyone who promises it to keep the familiar closed but comfortable world.

Of course, no one will bomb Vienna like Belgrade.

Of course, the European Union, which last year was moving toward crisis, has now overcome it, much in advance of its being tested by enlargement. Incidentally, the Catholic Church also has put itself in a very uncertain position, and its representatives would rather keep silent now. No one knows how it all will end — whether with the EU losing its image as a union based on the ideas of democracy, or with expulsion of Austria, or new elections and a new government there. Or perhaps with a ruin of one’s hopes of building a truly united Europe, hopes, which again will be limited to the common market principle. And one should bear in mind that in addition to Heider, there is also Le Pen, whose National Front still retains its position on the French political arena. There will also be others unless a strong enough medicine is found.

And with us, there will turn up thinkers screaming that Ukraine has nothing to do with this Europe.

INCIDENTALLY

As Den has already reported, the hero of the scandal in Europe, Austria’s Freedom Party leader Jorg Heider signed on February 3 the Declaration on Responsibility for Austria for the Future in the Center of Europe along with and Austrian People’s Party chairman Wolfgang Schussel. This document, as The Day learned at the Austrian Embassy in Kyiv, will be a part of the new Cabinet program. Its tone and content should calm the emotions of those vehemently opposed to Heider, his ultra-Right party and of the new Austrian Cabinet in general. We cite a few paragraphs from it:

“The Federal Government confirms the inviolability of its links with the spiritual and moral values which are the common heritage of the peoples of Europe and fundamentally favors the personal and political liberties along with the rule of law, which constitute the basis of any democracy.

“The Federal Government stands up for respect, tolerance, and understanding in relation to all people regardless of their origin, religious convictions, and Weltanschauung. The Government disapproves of and resolutely combats the manifestations of any form of discrimination, intolerance, or persecution in any area of public life. It will work towards creation of a society imbued with the spirit of humanity and tolerance toward the representatives of all social groups.

“The Federal Government will work for Austria, where enmity against foreigners, anti-Semitism, and racism shall have no place. The Government will consistently oppose any form of ideas and principles of disrespect toward the individual or their dissemination and shall advocate universal respect for the rights and basic liberties of the representatives of all nationalities regardless the reasons for their being in Austria. It recognizes its own responsibility for respecting ethnic and religious minorities.”