The Return of Fascism in Europe.
On 4 February 2000 a new coalition of the conservative Austrian People's
Party (AVP) and the extreme right Austrian Freedom Party (FPA) was sworn
into government marking the return of an extreme right party to government
for the first time in Europe since the end of National Socialism in 1945.
Background.
The present leader of the FPA Jorg Haider took over the party in the mid
1980s and transformed it from a marginal party to the second strongest
party at the last federal election in October 1999 when the party won 27%
of the vote. The politics of Haider and the FPA are not only dominated by
demagogic populism, the manipulation of prejudice against foreigners, a
culture of defamation and racism but also by fascist ideology and a
revisionist approach to Nazism. Throughout his career Haider has repeatedly
made statements about the Nazi era which make his political color clear.
According to Haider the labour policy of the Third Reich was "respectable",
the concentration camps were "punishment camps", the SS were "respectable
men of principle", Hitler, Stalin and Churchill were all equally criminal.
FPA policy includes zero immigration, the separation of school classes with
more than 30% "foreign" children etc.
Haider is not actually in the Austrian parliament (he is presently governor
of the province of Carinthia) but he is the leader of the federal FPA and
as such is the most powerful member of the party. All members of the party
who are sitting in ministerial posts and on government seats do so with his
grace.
At the last federal election the results were:
SPA (socialists) 33%
FPA 27%
AVP 27%
Greens 10%
After four months of negotiating, the previous coalition partners SPA and
AVP ended their attempts to build a new coalition at the end of January.
The role of the AVP in this process seems more than questionable. They were
the junior partners in the coalition with the socialists for 13 years and
had the choice of once again accepting this role or of forming a coalition
with the FPA who would leave the Chancellor's chair to the AVP in exchange
for the coalition partnership bringing the far right FPA into power.
The Thin End of the Wedge
Rather than his fascist comments leading to Haider's disgraced departure
from public life such ideology has become increasingly accepted in Austria
to the extent that the conservative People's Party were prepared to enter a
coalition government with Haider's FPA and this government is now ruling
Austria. This is perhaps the most dangerous side of the whole process: the
legitimisation of such ideology. The new government has appealed to its
critics to judge on its work over the next years without realising that for
the international community any "work" which legitimates a party from such
an ideological background is the worst possible result. Many European
nations have nascent far right parties who can't wait to present the
"success" and legitimacy of this far right thin-end-of-the-wedge to the
world at large. The declaration that the two coalition parties signed
before entering government promising their "unswerving adherence to the
spiritual and moral values which are the common heritage of the people's of
Europe" can be seen in the same light: a further attempt to legitimise far
right ideology in government.
It is questionable how long the new coalition will hold. Haider can, at
present, be sure of increased electoral support at new elections and you
can be sure he is far from satisfied with an AVP Chancellor. He is only
waiting for the right moment (probably 6-12 months) to break the coalition,
forcing elections to capitalise on his new-found "legitimacy" and become
the most popular party.
Action
The EU has been admirable in its quick reaction to the threat in its midst
and has already implemented a package of diplomatic sanctions against
Austria which have so far been ignored by the new government. These
sanctions will, it seems, need to be strengthened to convince the Austrian
electorate that the international community will not accept such ideology
as the FPA represents on an international level.
Individuals can also express their abhorrence at this development via
e-mail to the following addresses:
The AVP:
New Chancellor: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
The Parliamentary Party: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
A senior minister: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Education Minister: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Foreign Minister: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To support institutions taking action:
Assistant to Nicole Fontaine, President of the EU Parliament: S Woodard,
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
European socialists:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Parliamentary group of European socialists: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Boycotts are also possible. The Belgian foreign minister last week
described skiing holidays in Austria under such a government as "immoral".
In this sense boycotts of Austrian companies such as Austrian Airlines,
Lauda Air etc. seem helpful to make it clear to this government that the
politics Haider and the FPA represent can not be accepted.
Contact address for further information:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Colin Long
Colin Long
Australia ICOMOS Secretariat
Deakin University
221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood,
Australia, 3125.
Tel: 61 3 9244 3938
FaX: 61 3 9244 6755
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