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**Felch** · February 28, 2003, 18:56

Well the FPO only got 10 percent of the vote. Not much to that.

**Spiffor** · February 28, 2003, 18:58

I guess it was all coalition politics. If the People's Party and the Social Democrats manage to agree, the FPÖ will not weigh any power anymore, with a new left-right government.
However, I guess their disagreement on the privatization issue was huge, for the SocDem to allow FPÖ at power again

**Comrade Tribune** · February 28, 2003, 18:59

Re: Austrian hard-right seizes power

Originally posted by monkspider
Anyone following Austrian polictics care to comment on how this happened and what the ramifications could be? Comrade Tribune?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2807877.stm

Yup. It´s actually the 'Sneaky-not-quite-so-hard-but-still-pretty-annoying-right' Mr. Schüssel, who seized power from the 'Even-harder-and-also-pretty-much-totally-incompetent-right'.

In short, we had elections that were mainly caused by a power struggle within the right, and it was the slightly more moderate schemer party that won over the inept hardliner party. The number of the government members of the latter has somewhat decreased.

**Comrade Tribune** · February 28, 2003, 19:03

Originally posted by Spiffor
However, I guess their disagreement on the privatization issue was huge, for the SocDem to allow FPÖ at power again

It was actually the left wing of the SozDems who won this argument, and I agree with them. If right-wing politics are inevitable, let the right take the blame for the consequences. For once, our SozDems acted a little less stupid than usual.

**Spiffor** · February 28, 2003, 19:07

I agree Comrade. The left simply sunk in all Europe lately, because it has led a right-wing policy all along, and took a rightful blame for it.
But I can't help being sick with the FPÖ at power again. How I would prefer to see a SozDem/Green coalition. It wouldn't have changed much on the economics, but at least, your immigrants would have been less targeted by State repression.

**mrmitchell** · February 28, 2003, 22:01

What? Is there some anti-rightie sentiment here on Poly? So what if you're right handed?

**mrmitchell** · February 28, 2003, 22:03

OH.

Hard-right, not right-hand. Nm.

Well, I dunno a lot about European politics so I'll shut up.

**Comrade Tribune** · February 28, 2003, 22:41

Just read the new minister list on the Austrian Government page.

It appears the Freedom Party has lost all important positions, most notably Defense.

They also sorta lost Finances; it´s the same guy as before, but he has left the Freedom Party.

One other thing is the President´s wording as the new Government was sworn in: 'In the interest of the Austrian Republic, I wish you all the best success', which is to be read: '...but if it was just for me, you could all go to hell, like, yesterday.'

(on-going low intensity war between Presidency and Government)

**DinoDoc** · March 1, 2003, 00:05

Does this mean the EU is going to slap sanctions on Austria again?

Announcement

Austrian hard-right seizes power

Austrian hard-right seizes power

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