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Before I start with the real topic, I have to inform you all a little bit about Austrian politics (if you want to skip, the juicy bit is at the bottom in bold).
Probably you know that we have some guy called Jörg Haider here, who convinced protest voters to go with his ultra-right populist party (FPÖ)- a party that since its founding was also a harbor (not the only one though) of rehabilitated Nazis. The party was considered "National liberal" and from there you may see that there were always 2 wings, one more "liberal" and one more "Great-German". During Haider's rise, there was already one split, although the newly founded Liberal Party was rather short lived. In the past years, since Haider's party is in government, voters turned their back on the FPÖ and the old contrast between ultra-right and moderate became apparent again. Only recently, Haider founded a new movement (BZÖ), funnily enough supposed to leave the brown dirt in the "old FPÖ". Our new government is now Conservative-BZÖ.
Now, I want to give you an impression in what exactly the moderation of the new movement consists.
While a few days ago, senator (Bundesrat) Kampl (BZÖ, Carinthia) only claimed that "deserters from the Wehrmacht are comrade-murderers" and that there was a "brutal Nazi prosecution" in Austria after the war, senator Gudenus (FPÖ, Vienna - after this statement he left the FPÖ however) felt the necessity to top these statements by saying that "he does not want to decide if there were gas chambers in the Nazi era and that we should check again physical evidence".
Although the Austrian senate is commonly known to be absolutely powerless and as a general rule the most useless politicians are "promoted away" there, those 2 persons are actually elected delegates from the provincial parlaments, thus democratically fully legitimated! Neither can be eliminated from the senate without holding new elections in Carinthia or Vienna.
While the one from Carinthia will probably remain in his party yet possibly resigns by own will from the senate the other one left the FPÖ "to avoid damage from the party because of the debate" yet insists on remaining in his office.
Although all media bash this and very few people would sign this, I feel ashamed for my own country where such human dirt can get anywhere.
Great, today the 2nd Republic has its 60th anniversary.
Probably you know that we have some guy called Jörg Haider here, who convinced protest voters to go with his ultra-right populist party (FPÖ)- a party that since its founding was also a harbor (not the only one though) of rehabilitated Nazis. The party was considered "National liberal" and from there you may see that there were always 2 wings, one more "liberal" and one more "Great-German". During Haider's rise, there was already one split, although the newly founded Liberal Party was rather short lived. In the past years, since Haider's party is in government, voters turned their back on the FPÖ and the old contrast between ultra-right and moderate became apparent again. Only recently, Haider founded a new movement (BZÖ), funnily enough supposed to leave the brown dirt in the "old FPÖ". Our new government is now Conservative-BZÖ.
Now, I want to give you an impression in what exactly the moderation of the new movement consists.
While a few days ago, senator (Bundesrat) Kampl (BZÖ, Carinthia) only claimed that "deserters from the Wehrmacht are comrade-murderers" and that there was a "brutal Nazi prosecution" in Austria after the war, senator Gudenus (FPÖ, Vienna - after this statement he left the FPÖ however) felt the necessity to top these statements by saying that "he does not want to decide if there were gas chambers in the Nazi era and that we should check again physical evidence".
Although the Austrian senate is commonly known to be absolutely powerless and as a general rule the most useless politicians are "promoted away" there, those 2 persons are actually elected delegates from the provincial parlaments, thus democratically fully legitimated! Neither can be eliminated from the senate without holding new elections in Carinthia or Vienna.
While the one from Carinthia will probably remain in his party yet possibly resigns by own will from the senate the other one left the FPÖ "to avoid damage from the party because of the debate" yet insists on remaining in his office.
Although all media bash this and very few people would sign this, I feel ashamed for my own country where such human dirt can get anywhere.
Great, today the 2nd Republic has its 60th anniversary.
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