US embassy cable - 05VIENNA738

UNCLAS VIENNA 000738 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/AGS (VIKMANIS-KELLER) AND INR/EU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, AU 
SUBJECT:  FPO SACKS RIGHT WINGERS AFTER ELECTION LOSSES 
 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified. 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: The Freedom Party (FPO) executive 
board decided on March 7 to strip prominent right-wingers 
of party offices.  In a reaction to severe losses last 
weekend in local elections in the state of Lower Austria, 
the leadership also tasked a six-person reform committee 
with "renewing" the party.  Just hours after the meeting, 
Carinthian Governor Haider repeated his proposal to found 
a new FPO at a special convention to take place in late 
spring.  The purging of the FPO's far-right faction 
represents a temporary victory for the pro-coalition 
party leadership under party chair Haubner and Vice- 
Chancellor Gorbach.  However, if the string of FPO losses 
in state elections continues later this year, the outlook 
is for continued volatility and further friction with 
Chancellor Schuessel's People's Party (OVP).  End 
summary. 
 
2. (SBU) In municipal elections in the state of Lower 
Austria on March 6, the FPO lost more than half its 
previous support, falling to fourth place, behind the 
Greens.  This was the 11th consecutive electoral defeat 
for the party since it entered the federal government in 
2000, with the sole exception of Carinthia, where Joerg 
Haider retained the post of governor in March 2004. 
 
3.  (SBU) In reaction, an overnight crisis meeting of the 
party's executive board on March 7 decided to sack 
rightist critics from party posts.  Party leaders removed 
two notorious nationalists from the board, FPO ombudsman 
Ewald Stadler and the party's sole Member of the European 
Parliament, Andreas Moelzer.  FPO Vienna chairman Heinz 
Christian Strache kept his slot on the board, but had to 
step down as one of party leader Haubner's two deputies. 
Haubner justified the decision by citing the rightists' 
ongoing criticism of the party leadership.  She issued a 
thinly veiled warning of further measures if the right 
does not cease its sniping.  The FPO leadership also 
installed a six-person reform committee composed of 
Haubner, Haider, Gorbach, parliamentary caucus leader 
Herbert Scheibner, party manager Uwe Scheuch, and Vienna 
caucus leader Hilmar Kabas, tasking it with a sweeping 
"renewal" of the party. 
 
4.  (SBU) Just hours later, Haider proposed convening a 
special convention in late spring for the purpose of 
founding "a new FPO."  For several months, Haider has 
mused publicly over a concept for a "cool, relaxed, 
youthful" new movement.  Haider suggested that the 
current FPO government team, the majority of FPO 
legislators and most state chapters would "switch over" 
to the new FPO -- leaving behind all those who would not 
fit in with the new party.  This would ensure a 
continuation of the FPO participation in government, he 
argued.  His sister, FPO chairperson and Social Affairs 
Minister Ursula Haubner, has not yet commented on 
Haider's latest plan. 
 
5. (SBU) COMMENT:  The purge of FPO far-right faction 
represents a temporary victory for the FPO party 
leadership, which remains publicly committed to the 
coalition with the OVP.  It silences, for the time being, 
internal party critics who have increasingly advocated an 
opposition role for the FPO instead of continued 
government participation.  Haider evidently views the 
disempowerment of the unruly rightwingers as the prelude 
to a new beginning.  After decimating party liberals just 
a few months ago, Haider now seeks effectively to lop off 
the other wing of the party.  A new and improved FPO 
centered on Haider's personality faces uncertain 
prospects, at best.  Odds are that this FPO will fare 
badly in state elections in Styria, Burgenland and 
possibly Vienna in autumn 2005. 
 
Brown