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TAGS: OPRC KPAO AU
 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: May 04, 2007 
 
 
Parliament Remembers Nazi Victims 
 
¶1. The Austrian Parliament will hold a special session to remember 
the victims of the Nazi regime today. ORF television will broadcast 
live from Parliament on channel ORF II, starting at 10:00 am. 
Parliamentary President Barbara Prammer (SPOe) is among the speakers 
discussing "Resistance from 1938 - 1945; Moral Courage Today." 
Ceremonies will continue this weekend, marking the 1945 liberation 
of the Mauthausen concentration camp in Upper Austria by US forces. 
In connection with upcoming events in Austria commemorating the 
victims of National Socialism, mass-circulation daily Kurier reports 
on a survey among Freedom Party members on the issue. Apparently, 
the daily notes, some FPOe representatives "have a bit of a problem" 
with the Holocaust: For party boss Heinz-Christian Strache, the 
concentration camp victims "don't stand out. It is always important 
to remember all victims of all wars," he said. Some of his 
colleagues from Upper Austria have complained that commemorative 
events at the Mauthausen concentration camp are being held too 
often, suggesting that once every five years would suffice, the 
Kurier writes. 
 
 
IMF Praises Austrian Economic Policy 
 
¶2. Austrian economic policies have been praised in an annual report 
by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Washington-based 
organization gave strong marks to a robust Austrian economy, high 
growth rates and low unemployment. All of this, according to the 
IMF, has been made possible by stable and restrained wage policies. 
The report also suggested that retaining such wage policies would be 
the key to ensuring Austria's ability to compete on the 
international stage. 
In its praise for Austria's economic policies, the IMF emphasized 
that minor wage increases had kept labor costs in check even amid an 
expanding demand for labor, the semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung 
writes. The Fund also welcomed a new agreement between unions and 
management for continuing the current moderate wage policies. The 
current economic trend was also bolstered by Austria's focus on the 
rapidly-growing economies in east-central Europe, especially in the 
banking sector, says the daily. Furthermore, the IMF approved of 
Austria's efforts to balance the country's budget, but said this 
should be done sooner rather than later, and welcomed an increase in 
investments for research and development, education and 
infrastructure. According to the IMF, future tax reductions could be 
reserved for companies and sectors of the economy which are creating 
new jobs. The Fund also called for additional reforms to the pension 
and health systems. 
 
 
Iraq Security on the Agenda in Egypt 
 
¶3. The second and final day of a summit of world and regional powers 
on the future of Iraq is focusing on security issues. In addition, 
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to meet her 
Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki at the summit in the Egyptian 
report of Sharm el-Sheikh today. In meetings yesterday, Rice urged 
cooperation of the regional states to stabilize Iraq, ORF television 
reported. In his analysis, ORF Middle East correspondent Karim 
El-Gawhari suggested, however, that countries like Iran and Syria, 
"concerned that they might be next on Washington's hit list, will 
likely prefer the US to remain caught in the Iraqi quagmire for the 
time being." 
ORF radio early morning news Morgenjournal quotes US Under Secretary 
for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns as stating "There will be a 
very important meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh: Secretary Rice will be 
there with the Iranian foreign Minister for their first meeting. We 
think that is a very important moment and we hope the Iranians will 
take the steps necessary to be much more constructive and peaceful 
neighbor for Iraq." In centrist daily Die Presse, Middle East 
correspondent Karim El-Gawhary says the "government in Baghdad is 
asking its neighbors to pay up" at the conference in Sharm 
el-Sheikh. But "although the conference in Egypt was supposed to be 
a major demonstration of international support for Iraq, it did not 
take long for rifts to emerge. The Sunni Arab states in particular 
are reluctant to give money as long as there is no guarantee the 
Sunni minority in Iraq will participate in the country's political 
processes and get its share of the oil resources," El-Gawhari says. 
"Interesting enough, Shiite Iran has proved to be far more generous: 
Tehran's top diplomat Ali Larijani said his country would make one 
billion dollars available for reconstruction loans." The reason for 
this stance may be that Iraq's "Sunni neighbors are concerned that 
their money for the Maliki government might end up being used to 
support Shiite militias in their civil war against the Sunnis," the 
correspondent argues. 
 
 
Israelis Urge Olmert to Step Down 
 
¶4. Tens of thousands of Israelis joined a demonstration in Tel Aviv 
last night calling for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to resign over his 
handling of last year's war in Lebanon. Followers of parties from 
across the political spectrum joined the protests. Olmert, however, 
reiterated he will stay in office to implement proposals in the 
official report published earlier this month, which sharply 
criticized his role in the war. 
In liberal daily Der Standard, Jerusalem correspondent Ben 
Segenreich reports on the "storm in the Kadima Party's teacup." The 
call on Olmert to step down by Foreign Minister and Kadima 
heavyweight Tzippi Livni failed. The Party ended up backing its 
embattled Prime Minister. "The Premier has meanwhile emphasized his 
determination to stay in office, despite the public outrage over his 
handling of the Lebanon war last year," Segenreich says, and 
explains that Olmert "certainly profited from Livni's rather poor 
and inconsistent performance" earlier this week. If Olmert keeps his 
position for the time being, he'll owe this to a "certain 
indifference among Israelis," which, Segenreich suggests, "is rooted 
in the notion that at this point there is nobody in sight who could 
do a better job." 
McCaw