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TAGS: KPAO AU OPRC
 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: October 17, 2006 
 
 
FPOe Dismisses Coalition Proposal 
 
¶1. The Freedom Party, led by Heinz-Christian Strache, has ruled out 
participating in a coalition government with the OeVP and the BZOe, 
ORF online news and other major Austrian media report.  According to 
ORF online news, the move means the Conservatives under Chancellor 
Wolfgang Schuessel have lost leverage and their chance to play for 
time in the coalition negations with the SPOe, with no basis for 
their threat to abandon the talks for the formation of a grand 
coalition.  Negotiations between Austria's two leading parties 
resume today. 
 
 
Last Chance for Ankara 
 
¶2. The EU foreign ministers have emphasized that Turkey will have to 
resolve the Cyprus dispute quickly if it wants its bid for EU 
membership to advance. EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn says 
this is Ankara's last chance, Brussels correspondent for centrist 
daily Die Presse Friederike Leibl writes. The worst-case scenario 
would be if the conflict between Turkey and Cyprus were not resolved 
by the end of the year and EU membership talks would be suspended, 
Leibl explains. On all sides, patience appears to be wearing thin in 
the long-lasting conflict. The Cypriot government is gradually 
losing EU backing for its tough stance and its threat to block 
membership talks, the correspondent says. Although the EU states are 
unanimously demanding the opening of Turkish harbors to Cypriot 
ships, diplomatic circles have expressed their sympathy for Ankara's 
"emotional and tricky domestic policy situation." Turkey, on the 
other hand, is apparently not willing to make any substantial 
concessions on a single contentious issue with the EU. 
 
 
US Ambassador in Upper Austria 
 
¶3. Meeting in Linz on Monday, US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw 
and Upper Austria Governor Josef Puehringer paved the way for 
cooperation on a range of issues, the Austrian Press Agency (APA) 
reports The Ambassador also gave an interview to regional daily 
Oberoesterreichische Nachrichten. It is "difficult to predict the 
result" of the upcoming mid-term elections in the US, Ambassador 
McCaw said, adding that even if the Democrats win the majority in 
Congress "there will not be a major shift in US foreign policy." 
Regarding the situation in Iraq, the Ambassador pointed out: 
"Democracies do not emerge overnight. We have to make sure to 
establish a stable Iraq with a uniform government and condition that 
allow the people there to build a prospering society." She conceded 
the Iraq war may be one of the reasons for the United States' image 
problems abroad, as is the fact that, today, "America is the only 
remaining superpower." Leading European politicians, however, are 
well aware of the importance of solving the problems in Iraq, "not 
only in the interest of the Middle East, but in the interest of 
global security." Ambassador McCaw also visited the University of 
Linz, where she talked with students and "invited them to come to 
the US, to get to know the country and American values." She 
believes "the best way to understand a country's society is to spend 
some time there." On US-Austrian relations she emphasized that 
"trade is very important." The United States "is Austria's 
third-largest trading partner." At the political level, the US 
"welcomed Austria's commitment in Afghanistan, and the Austrian 
training for Iraqi police in Jordan." Ambassador McCaw also stressed 
America's "hope that Austria will remain an important voice for the 
Balkans." 
 
 
Apocalyptic Mood in Washington 
 
¶4. Washington correspondent Norbert Rief for centrist daily Die 
Presse analyzes the domestic policy situation in the US three weeks 
ahead of the mid-term elections, which could see the Republicans 
lose their majority in the House of Representatives. Insiders have 
confirmed the dejected mood among Republicans, who - on top of 
President Bush's poor popularity ratings and the ongoing problems in 
Iraq -- are also grappling with scandals involving Congressman Mark 
Foley and lobbyist Jack Abramoff. After the November 7 vote, some 
Congressional staffers and their bosses may have to look for new 
jobs, Rief says and adds that according to recent polls, the 
Republicans could lose between 10 and 30 seats in the House of 
Representatives. Although observers believe it could be a close call 
for the President's party in the Senate as well, the Republican 
majority there is not seriously threatened. Still, Rief concludes, 
anything is possible, as previous mid-term elections have shown. 
McCaw